Dipper's Birthday Rumble
by ddp456
Summary: On his 13th Birthday, Dipper Pines receives a gift that he had always hoped for. However, an old enemy uses this to gain an advantage, and shortly, Dipper is launched into an unexpected adventure. Please leave as many reviews, comments, and suggestions, as you can, if you like/dislike. Thanks! NOTE: takes place pre-"Boyz Crazy." Thanks to markmak for the cover!
1. Chapter 1

"_If you want to, I can save you.  
I can take you away from here.  
So lonely inside, so busy out there,  
and all you wanted was somebody who cares…"_

"All You Wanted," by Michelle Branch

**Chapter 1 – A Secret to Everybody**

Dipper Pines was blinded with a ray of light as he opened his eyes for the first time that morning. Another night had passed, and with it, dreams of ghosts, monsters, and of course, tall, redheaded gingers. Of course, Dipper didn't mind any of that (especially that last part).

He sat up and yawned, stretching his noodle arms as far as he could. Again, he could not see anything in front of him due to constant whiteness covering his view. Dipper shut and reopened his eyes repeatedly, trying to regain his sight. Still, nothing but white surrounded him.

"Oh no! I'm blind!" Dipper panicked as he hopped out of bed. As he landed, the truth was revealed to him as his vision returned:

Someone had taped a piece of paper to his forehead.

Annoyed (and embarrassed of himself) Dipper ripped the paper off his head and began to read over it:

"HEY BIRTHDAY ̶B̶O̶Y̶ MAN!

THERE'S A SPECIAL SURPRISE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE GRAVITY FALLS ARCADE!

GET A MOVE ON! DON'T KEEP ME WAITING!

SIGNED,

IT'S A SECRET TO EVERYBODY!"

Dipper sighed as he set the note on his bed. With all of the craziness during his stay at Gravity Falls, he had almost forgotten about his own birthday. Dipper remembered that this birthday was to be his most important yet. Today was his thirteenth birthday, meaning that he could toss aside the limitations of childhood and proudly call himself a teenager. This could be a whole new outlook on life!

Plus, it didn't hurt that the additional year helped close the age gap between him and Wendy…

He looked over to the adjacent bed, belonging to his twin sister Mabel, to find it messy, yet abandoned. Dipper thought to himself, "Huh? It's Mabel's big day, too. I'd think that she would be up at the crack of dawn, waking up the entire house!"

To Mabel, this day was so much more than a "mere birthday," but a celebration of when she and Dipper came into the world together. For this, she had not only christened it as "_our birthday_," but also a "Happy _'Us'_ Day, in tribute of the joyous occasion.

He then remembered the note, or more specifically, the "ME" addressed in it. Studying the note, he noticed the all-too-neat handwriting, complete with small hearts dotting the "I's."

Dipper came to the conclusion that his now teenage twin had something in mind for him at the arcade.

In a rush, Dipper changed into his street clothes and headed out towards town. Even though he appreciated whatever his sister had planned, he was still very uneasy about heading back to the Arcade. Earlier that summer, Dipper had unleashed Rumble McSkirmish to protect himself after being threatened by Wendy's jerkwad boyfriend, Robbie. Even worse, Dipper had to take a vicious beating from an out-of-control Rumble in order to save Robbie's life. Even after Rumble was returned to the virtual world, he continued to be a nuisance. Only a few weeks ago, both Dipper and Mabel were trapped in a 16-bit version of Gravity Falls, barely escaping the plight after confronting Rumble once again. Despite all of this, Dipper realized the good intentions at hand, remembering that he couldn't let Mabel down. After all, Rumble couldn't keep coming back, could he?

As Dipper entered the Arcade, his eyes adjusted to the dank surrounding; a vast contrast to the bright and breezy world outside. Slowly, he explored the arcade. It was totally quiet, except for the bleeps-and-bloops coming from the various cabinets. He peered around the corner of every aisle of machines. There wasn't a single soul around! The desk clerk had even vanished! "What is going on?" he asked himself.

Dipper continued down the aisle at a turtle's pace, waiting for someone (something) to leap out at him. At the end of the aisle, he noticed something that caught his eye.

In between the last set of arcade machines circling the back side of the room stood an older picnic table. Sitting upon of it was a small, yet delicious chocolate cake (his favorite). The cake was decorated with blue frosting, marked in a cute, yet sloppy font stating "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIPPER!" The handwriting seemed to be the same as that in the note. In the middle, a huge "13" shaped candle stood with a single wick extending from the top.

Dipper was taken aback by the gift set in front of him. "How was Mabel able to do all of this without me noticing?" Dipper also felt a lump in his throat when he realized that he had left his gift for her back at the Mystery Shack! He took a deep breath, and decided to get this over with.

"Mabel," Dipper called out, slowly walking towards the cake. "Mabel, you can come out now…"

From behind him, a voice called out, "No, not Mabel, but you're getting warmer…"

As he recognized that voice, a huge, yet shocked smile spread across Dipper's face. He turned around, and looked up to meet his secret gift-giver eye to eye.

"What's up, dweeb?" Wendy asked, as she slid out of the shadows.

Dipper stood in a quiet awe. Slowly, he found the courage to speak. "Wendy…" he stammered. "Wendy…you did all of this?"

"Yep," she replied, her sly smile spreading further across her freckled face. She had figured that she would have totally surprised the newly-christen teen in front of her, but not like this. It was almost like she knocked the wind out of him. "So, whatdya think? I mean, the cake's a bit messy, but I'm not the best cook…"

Dipper simply remained in a stupor. Despite this, Wendy went further into detail, "Well, to be honest, it wasn't all my idea. Mabel gave me a lot of helpful advice. And I remembered that you and I had a blast the last time we were here, at least until Robbie "stole" me away…"

Dipper frowned at the unintended double meaning of Wendy's phrase.

"…and I figured you deserve a little bit of quality time; no friends to save, no Mabel to watch out for, and no Stan bossing you around. Wendy knelt down to meet Dipper and pulled something out of her pocket. She flashed them in front of his face and continued on, "Check this, two all-day passes! Unlimited credits! First dibs on every game! Heck, since I'm friends with the owner's kids, we have the entire place to ourselves!"

Dipper was astonished by the details of Wendy's plan. She had thought of everything! He tried to say something (anything) that would even begin to describe the gratitude towards his secret love, but no words came out of his mouth.

As she stood back up, Wendy's smiling face changed to that of a concerned frown. She was worried because the little teen in front of her didn't even make a sound. Dipper's heart sank as he heard her next comment:

"You don't like it, do you? This was a stupid idea…"

"Wendy," Dipper interrupted breathlessly, forcing himself to speak out loud. "I love it. Everything's perfect. I couldn't ask for more. "In his excitement, he ran up to her and hugged her, despite only reaching her waist. "I just can't believe you did all this just for me…"

Dipper stopped in embarrassment when he realized what he had just done. He looked up at Wendy and seen that she was blushing as much as he was, complete with an awkward dimpled smile on her face.

"Hey, nothing but the best for my boys!" Wendy exclaimed, gently tapping her index finger on Dipper's pink nose. "Or…" she corrected herself, "should I say "men?" Dipper forced himself to awkwardly laugh. Deep down, he was ecstatic! "YES!" he thought to himself. "Wendy thinks I'm an adult now!"

With that, Wendy reached down, grasped his tiny hand (filling Dipper with silent joy) and led him over to the table. She reached back into her pockets and pulled out an old-fashioned flip lighter. Wendy leaned over to the 13-shaped candle and lit the wick on top. She turned to Dipper while extending her arm, "Well, let's get this party started! Go ahead and make a wish!"

Dipper hesitated. This scenario that Wendy had created for him was greater than anything he could have imagined. What else could he possibly ask for today? Would it be selfish to ask for anything more than this?

Wendy gave him an encouraging push forwards, "C'mon, Dipper! Make your wish, and let's go play already!"

Dipper took two steps and paused to clear his mind. Behind him, he began to hear a gentle humming of "Happy Birthday to you!" He turned around to see that the source of the sweet song was Wendy, standing with eyes closed while softly swaying back and forth, as if she was performing a lullaby. Dipper, despite finding the scene surreally adorable, chuckled, "Not much for singing, Wendy?" She quickly responded, "Don't-push-your-luck-kiddo!" and resumed her tune.

Dipper returned his attention to the task at hand. He gathered up a single thought in his mind:

"If anything, I wish that these moments with Wendy would last forever! Here's to many more like this!"

With that, Dipper blew out the candle. He heard Wendy cheer and shortly after, she ran up next to him. "So..." she asked. "What did you wish for?"

"Uh-Uh," he countered. "If I tell you, it won't come true, right?"

"Such a doofus," Wendy sighed. She put her hands on her hips and looked down at the teenager. "Dipper Pines, what am I going to do with you? Oh, wait; I know!" Once again, she took him by the hand and steered him towards the back row of arcade games, nearly yanking him off his feet.

"Now, young man…" Wendy started again, "I expect nothing but "Top 5" scores from you today. Of course, I'm not talking the top spot." She faced Dipper with her thumb pointed at herself, "That's reserved for yours truly!" The bold statement made Dipper laugh out loud.

"Huh?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Dipper explained. "This is coming from the same girl who claimed in our "last battle" that I cheated my way to victory?"

"What?!" she exclaimed in shock. "You must have been hearing things!"

"I don't think so…" Dipper teased.

"That's a lot of talk from such a little guy…"

"Yeah? Well, that a…big talk…*grumble* tall girl…"

Wendy, now fully egged on, bent down to meet her challenger.

"You're on, birthday boy!"

Dipper and Wendy explored nearly every game cabinet through the arcade. They had zoomed through virtually every gaming genre from classic platformers to light gun shooters to dual racers. It was a constant struggle between the two teens, with one reaching first place in the top scores, only to switch positions with the next title played.

Hours felt like minutes and minutes felt like seconds. Despite his competitive nature, Dipper truly soaked in the atmosphere. This is what he always wanted; a day alone with Wendy with no distractions at all. He thought about how the idea sounded kind of creepy, but he didn't mean it to be. It was just, at times, Wendy acted like a totally different person when concerning the other teenagers (especially Robbie). She was more prone to peer pressure, which more importantly, led to dangerous risks. Such a thing almost led to their downfall at the Dusk2Dawn earlier that summer. If only Dipper didn't ask to come along; what would have happened? He couldn't stand the mere thought of Wendy simply vanishing off the face of the earth…and he being left powerless to do anything about it.

Even though they were in the middle of a game (a 80s-co-op beat 'em up), Dipper stole a quick glance at his crush/temporary rival. He watched her expressions change, from huge, gaping smiles to shocked "O's" on her face. Though Wendy had her full attention on the game, Dipper was easily getting lost in her bright green eyes reflecting the flashing display in front of them. She never even blinked once. Suddenly, Wendy turned her attention to Dipper, still staring at her with adoration, her eyes blaring.

"Hey, dude! Focus!" She pointed at the screen. "We're getting creamed!"

Slightly embarrassed, Dipper returned his attention back to the arcade monitor. Wendy wasn't joking. He looked on as a huge green-skinned monster was hammering away at their on-screen avatars. Dipper continued to wail away at the buttons, alongside Wendy, both hoping to regain their advantage.

"Remember, Dipper," she warned. "These old school games from the '80s are super tough; at least tougher than what we grew up with. We gotta beat this guy together!"

Dipper nodded in agreement, going back to the task at hand. Without taking his eyes off the screen (lest he provoke Wendy's wrath), Dipper started up conversation again, hoping to take the competitive edge off.

"Sooo...I never did ask; how did you manage to get everyone out of my…err…our hair?"

"Easy…" Wendy responded, her attention never leaving the game. "Mabel is busy dragging your "Grunkle" and Soos all over town, and all my friends are grounded for trying to break into the abandoned hospital outside of town."

"And I suppose that you had nothing to do with the matter?" Dipper asked sarcastically.

"You know me like a book, Dipper Pines!" she laughed, showing a sly smile on her face. "I was there; it's just that I snuck away in the nick of time!"

"Didn't they get mad?"

"Nahhh! Sometimes, these things happen, and everything goes sour, but the important thing is that you never turn on each other at the end of the day. Besides, it's not like there's never been a time where they got away scot-free and I was the one left holding the check."

Her analogy made Dipper smile. For a second there, he thought that Wendy was cruel enough to leave anyone hanging without regret. But speaking of bad guys…

"What about Robbie?"

Wendy's expression changed to that of a serious one. "Well, Robbie wasn't with us. To be honest, I've haven't seen him in a few days. No calls. No texts. Nothing…"

Without looking at his secret crush, Dipper could easily see that Wendy was truly worried about his gothic nemesis. Even though that he would enjoy seeing a lot less of Robbie in his life, he didn't want Wendy to be troubled because of it. He forced himself to offer some reassurance.

"Don't worry, Wendy. I bet he was called away because of family matters…or maybe even something to do with his band…"

"Yeah, you're right!" Wendy responded, her voice changing back to her general, perky tone. "After all, he's a big boy; he can take care of himself!" Dipper smiled at Robbie's downgrade to "boy."

Dipper's attention strayed once more from the screen, noting something on the cabinet itself. Wendy had left the two all day passes against the screen. He glanced at the one she had made out for him, noticing (even admiring) Wendy's cursive interpretation of his name. When he peeked at the other card, he detected something a bit off. The second card was signed, "Gwendolyn Corduroy."

Dipper smiled at this newfound knowledge. He just HAD to use this to his advantage.

As the two teens continued their virtual battle against the hulking boss character, Dipper noticed as Wendy's character (ironically, a warrior dressed in reddish garb while his avatar in blue) was cornered by the villain. Watching Wendy's reaction out of the corner of his eye, he shouted:

"WATCH OUT…GWENDOLYN!"

Wendy's concentration shattered like broken glass. She turned to the shorten teen standing to her left.

"What did you just say?!" she shrieked with eyes wide open. Suddenly, the screen flashed with a grim tone. Wendy turned back to face the message on the monitor:

"PLAYER 2 GAME OVER! 2ND PLACE HI-SCORE!"

She looked back at Dipper, still playing the game, complete with devilish grin upon his face. Wendy looked in his perspective, in which she had left the pre-purchased passes. She easily put two and two together.

"Dude!" she complained, gently punching his shoulder. "That was a really low blow, kid!"

Dipper sighed, watching his score continue to ascend, "All's fair in love and war… And besides, I think it's a beautiful name…Gwendol…."

Dipper was interrupted as Wendy pulled the teen close to meet him face-to-face.

"Don't…say…that…name…AGAIN!"

The smile on his face was wiped off completely. In a split second, Wendy regained her composure. "Sorry," she apologized. "That is kinda my Achilles' heel. Only my mom is allowed to call me by my legal name."

Dipper, feeling guilty, started again, "Well, all joking aside, I really do think it's a nice na-"

Wendy quickly put her index finger to his lips, silencing him. "Ah-Ah!" she interrupted again. "We really don't want to get into the matter of real names, do we, Dippy? I'm sure that's another thing Mabel would be more than happy to help me out with…"

Dipper's demeanor totally changed. He knew that Mabel would easily rat him out, especially for Wendy's sake. "Good point." he quickly agreed.

Another grim tone chimed. Wendy had distracted him long enough for Dipper to get a "Game Over" screen.

"HA!" Wendy laughed. "And justice is served!"

Suddenly, another sound echoed from the cabinet. Wendy and Dipper both looked at the newly displayed message onscreen:

"PLAYER 1 EXTRA LIFE! GET READY!"

"Oh, yeah!" Dipper exclaimed. "The streak continues!"

"BOO!" teased Wendy, jealous of her friend's good luck. She turned to look at the other arcade cabinets that they haven't played yet. Maybe while Dipper was finishing this game, she could sneak away and get a bit of practice on the next. After all, she had a reputation to maintain.

"Hey, Dipper? I'm going to get started on the next game. Meet me over there when you're finished."

Dipper nodded, his attention on maintaining his high score. "You got it, Wendy!"

Wendy walked over to the next corner of the arcade. She explored the various titles, wondering which one would be perfect in gaining the advantage over her gaming companion. Suddenly, her attention was focused on a machine that seemed to be glowing. It was as if it was calling out to her.

Wendy stopped at the machine and looked up at the title: "FIGHT FIGHTERS!" She instantly remembered this game from when she and Soos brought the twins to the arcade for the first time. This was also the game in which Dipper easily defeated her. For some reason, it seemed like Dipper was avoiding this machine. Wendy thought to herself, "This is a perfect chance for vengeance! A few practice rounds, and Dipper won't know what hit him!"

She hit the 1P Start Button and ended up at the character select screen. Wendy chose Dr. Karate, her favorite fighter, and waited for the game to load her opponent. On the next screen, the game's VS screen showed that she was challenging (ironically Dipper's preferred warrior) Rumble McSkirmish.

"Great…" Wendy sighed, and rolled her eyes in disbelief.

As the match was about to begin, Rumble began to shout "Get over here; which I mean, is right here!" He was pointing at the screen, almost as if he was talking to the player, not the selected character.

"Creepy…" Wendy said to herself. "It's like he's actually talking to me through the game…"

Wendy gasped in horror as Rumble hopped up towards the screen, staring her down face to face:

"YES! IT IS YOU TO WHOM I AM TALKING! GET IN HERE NOW!"

Rumble reached through the screen, as if there was no barrier there, and grabbed Wendy's dainty wrists. She screamed in terror as the muscle-bound pixelated warrior began to yank her off her feet, and into the gaming world. Wendy pulled back, trying to resist, but the video game character was simply too strong. She cried out, "DIPPER! HELP!"

On the other side of the arcade, Dipper had just defeated the final boss, and successfully captured the first place position. As he was entering his initials, he had heard his secret love's screams. He laughed, thinking that she had bit off more than she could chew in one of the games. "I'll be right there, Wendy!"

Wendy continued to struggle against Rumble's grip. She tried hooking her boots beneath the machine to prevent her from being taken to heaven knows where. "DIPPER!" she screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU? I NEED YOUR HELP NOW!"

Dipper again brushed off her words, unknown to him that it was a matter of life or death, "Wendy, hang on a minute! Just use another credit, and I'll be right there!"

Wendy couldn't believe her ears! Why wasn't he taking her seriously?

Dipper sighed as he finished selecting his initials. He looked with pride upon the huge "DIP" placed side by side at the first place position. The next scream he heard shattered his perspective:

"DIPPER, PLEASE! I DON'T HAVE A MINUTE! HE'S TAKING ME AW-"

Dipper was on high alert after Wendy's interruption. "HE?" flashed through Dipper's mind, as he took off like a bullet. He had an irking about what just happened, and for that, he silently prayed, "Please don't be Fight Fighters. Please don't be Fight Fighters…"

As he rounded the corner, he could see a pair of booted feet flailing in the air. Dipper ran to the glowing machine to see Wendy literally being sucked into the arcade machine. Without thinking, Dipper leaped into the air, grabbed both of Wendy's ankles, and began to yank with all of his might. He struggled to maintain his grip, but after a few moments, it was no use. As if he was nothing, Dipper was seamlessly shrugged off and Wendy was completely pulled into the accursed machine, her screams echoing through his mind:

"DDDIIIPPPPPPEEERRR!"

"WENDY! NO!" Dipper sunk into his knees in bitter defeat. He looked next to him to see Wendy's trademark trapper hat on the floor. She must have lost it in the struggle. He took it in his hands, and held it close to his chest. He began to tear up with so many crazy thoughts flashing through his mind:

"What have you done? You didn't warn her! You knew this would happen! Why didn't you listen to her? You let her go! You brought this down upon her! You failed her!"

Dipper continued sobbing, still clinging on Wendy's hat. He forced himself to shake off these negative thoughts. He had to gather his wits, and fast. If not, Wendy could be lost…forever.

He stood up and faced the Fight Fighters machine, the same machine that had caused him so much misery only within the last month. The monitor attached to the cabinet was nothing but static. Bravely, Dipper took another step forwards and carefully touched the screen. He was able to move his finger past the glass barrier…

Suddenly, a horrid, yet broken laugh began to echo from the machine, making Dipper jump back in reflex.

"Well! If it isn't boy-child who fights like little girl!"

Dipper looked up at the possessed arcade machine. He'd know that tone of broken "Engrish" anywhere.

The visage of Rumble McSkirmish appeared on the screen. Dipper glared back angrily at the monitor.

"Rumble…" addressed Dipper. "What have you done with Wendy?"

Rumble laughed mockingly at the young boy's request. Suddenly, a pixelated form materialized on the screen in front of Dipper. It was Wendy. She screamed at Dipper, while pounding on the screen with her fists, "DIPPER! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! HOW CAN THIS BE REAL?!"

"Wendy!" cried Dipper as he tried to reach her hands just pass the faux screen. An electric shock was sent through his body, jolting him with great force into the wall. Dipper groaned as he continued to hear Wendy's cries:

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO DIPPER?! DIPPER, ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Dipper was helpless as he heard his crush's voice become further and further away from him.

"LET ME GO, CREEP! GET OFF ME! DIPP-"

Dipper stood up woozily, trying to regain his balance. Rumble's horrific grinning face once again was plastered on the monitor. Dipper addressed the virtual warrior once more.

"I'm surprised, Rumble. What kind of honorable warrior kidnaps an innocent girl?"

Rumble angrily pointed his muscular arm at Dipper, his 16-bit hand reaching beyond the borderline screen, just barely missing the boy.

"YOU! Little-girl-boy have no right to question anyone's honor!" bellowed Rumble. "You use trickery and little metal-mouthed girls to obtain victory! Far cry from the way of the warrior."

Dipper thought back on the last 2 encounters with the pixelated lummox. He had a feeling that Rumble was not going to make it so easy this time around.

Rumble continued on, "So, little boy wants to show he's a better hero than Rumble? Fine, Rumble is glad to make that happen. I have your ginger-freckled princess. Same one Rumble has watched little weakling make goo-goo eyes at all day today. "

Dipper blushed at the embarrassing remark. He then came to a horrifying conclusion:

"Rumble was watching us the whole time…from every machine…waiting for the chance to lure Wendy away. How was that possible?"

Dipper stood defiantly to his opponent. "So, whatdya want, Rumble? Another rematch? I gotta tell you, man that may not be a good idea. So far, you're at 0-2…"

"But this time…" Rumble challenged. "…we do not fight in your world of Gravity Falls. You WILL fight in my world, through a gauntlet of our worst! If you refuse or fail…"

With that, Rumble raised his mighty arms, an odd aura beginning to surround his body. He motioned his arms downwards and shortly following, the whole arcade began to shake. Dipper looked around as every arcade monitor flickered and became noisy static. All at once, a single image formed on every screen; an image that almost brought Dipper to his knees.

No matter where Dipper looked, he saw Wendy, panicked, with tears in her eyes, continuously pressing against her virtual prison with no prevail. He could hear through the echoes from every stereo system in the building Wendy crying out for help; crying for him to help her.

"…the girl is ours!" Rumble continued. "We will take great pleasure in draining her life essence and making her part of our world, forever! " The game warrior looked back at Dipper, "What says you? Are you a bad-enough-guy to save her?"

Dipper glanced around the room. Dozens of copies of those green colored eyes he grew to love looked to him. Those same eyes, usually bright and vibrant, now left sad and full of gloom, watched in careful anticipation of his answer.

Dipper looked down at the trapper hat belonging to his lost love. As he continued to hold it against his chest, he slowly looked up and gave his answer:

"Don't you worry, Wendy! I'm on my way!"

Rumble's image onscreen was replaced with a flashing red PLAYER ONE START button. It was similar to the one he pressed before his first battle with Rumble. Dipper, placing Wendy's hat into his vest, slowly stepped towards the flashing screen, and placed his small hand into the red button. A white light flashed before his eyes, and shortly after, he could feel himself being sucked into the machine…


	2. Chapter 2

"_It's a crazy world out there (It's a crazy…) Let's hope our prayers are in good hands tonight…"_

"Almost Unreal," by Roxette.

**Chapter 2 – Another Castle.**

Dipper screamed as he fell through the total whiteness. It seemed to go on forever.

At long last, he landed face down on the rock-solid ground with a huge *THUD.*

Sore and somewhat groggy, Dipper struggled to regain his sight. He looked up at this new world in awe and amazement. Gone were the drab and murky colors of the dreary Gravity Falls Arcade. The sky was an incredible shade of blue that he had never seen before in the real world. Dipper also looked at the plant life and shrubbery. Every piece, decorated with cute, round black eyes, seemed to dance and bounce to an inaudible song.

"Hey…" Dipper stood up and looked at the world before him. It seemed almost nostalgic to him...

It hit Dipper like a ton of bricks! He was in the most famed realm in all of gamedom! Dipper was somehow transported to Super Linguini World!

Dipper looked down at himself. As he entered this gaming world, he was unaware that his outfit had changed. Gone were his trademark orange tee, blue vet, and black-and-white sneakers. They were replaced with a long sleeved orange shirt hidden within blue overalls, ending with brown worker boots. Dipper then removed his cap from on top his head. His white pine hat taken from the Mystery Shack was now a fluffy blue cap, complete with a "D" stitched into the front.

Despite the dire situation, Dipper smiled at the realization that "he" was now a Linguini Brother! Probably the most famous video game character(s) of all time, the Linguinis were famous for exploring vast, exciting worlds, defeating wicked creatures, and saving princesses…

"Saving princesses?" he wondered, that last line striking a nerve in him.. Suddenly, the smiling, freckled, dimpled-faced image of his own "princess" popped in Dipper's mind, awakening him from his fanboy-induced daydream.

"WENDY!"

Her visage flashed through Dipper's head. "I have to hurry…" he thought, continuing downward the deserted brick road.

He looked for a sign; anything that could show that he was going the right way (to Wendy). Suddenly, Dipper looked above his head to see that the road was covered with floating, yet flashing "!" boxes. The game's memories began to flow back to Dipper:

"Hey, I remember now! You hit the box, and you get a power-up…"

Taking a step or two back, Dipper took off running, trying to line himself up with the hovering box. He jumped off the ground, and with all his might, smacked his head against the underneath of the "!" block.

*BING!*

A fountain of pain rushed to Dipper's head. In total, mind-numbing pain, he fell with a *THUNK* to the hard, cold ground.

"OOWWWW!" Dipper moaned in severe agony, rubbing the newly-formed bump on top his head. Dipper reopened his eyes and seen a golden coin lying on the ground. Slowly, he stumbled over and picked up the currency, analyzing it.

"Wow…" he pondered. "THAT was definitely NOT worth the effort."

He looked up at the previously flashing block, now turned a solid brown. He thought to himself, "There's gotta be a better way to do this…" He had to figure something out; he couldn't help Wendy in his current state (or by giving himself a concussion from breaking item boxes).

Dipper continued down the brick road, the eyes of the dancing shrubbery following his every step. The road seemed to go on forever. Already exhausted, Dipper sat on a huge boulder. He just needed to catch his breath for a moment. Abruptly, the boulder began to shake and rumble with Dipper still on it.

"Ahh!" he cried out in a high-pitched tone as he leaped off the moving rock. Dipper looked on in amazement as the stone began to sprout legs, arms, and shortly after, a head! The yellow head turned towards Dipper, with big, bubbly eyes and a stout beak. Dipper realized that he was sitting on a turtle shell!

Dipper approached the turtle slowly. Despite being scared out of his wits, he had to admit that it was actually kind of adorable. Maybe he had found a new friend in this adventure? Dipper took a few more steps towards the creature, extending his hand in an effort to pet him…

"Oh! You're a cute little guy, aren't you?" Dipper admired in baby-talk. "Do you want to help me save my 'kinda girlfriend' from a rotten pile of pixels?"

All of a sudden, the cute turtle snapped its jaws at Dipper's hand, just narrowly missing it. "Hey!" Dipper chastised, "…that's not very nice…"

With that, the turtle began to rise up on its hind legs. In only a few seconds, the creature was now towering over Dipper! "Hey, buddy…" Dipper laughed nervously, trying not to panic, "…not being so cute anymore…"

Dipper began to back away from the upright turtle as it began to menacingly close in on him. The turtle bellowed a horrific roar, shaking Dipper down to his core. Now officially panicking, Dipper turned on his heels and began to run in the other direction…until he crashed face first into a giant toadstool!

"Ugggghhh!" Dipper moaned, rubbing his sore face. "How can this get any worse?" he questioned himself.

Unexpectedly, another roar came from in front of Dipper. He looked down in horror as (just like with the turtle) the mushroom began to grow eyes, legs, as well as a fully fanged mouth. It, too, began to approach him, making Dipper shriek in terror:

"IS EVERYTHING HERE SOMETHING?!"

Without thinking, Dipper once again, turned around and headed back towards the turtle, swiftly leaping over the hulking monstrosity. It was only after he landed did he realize his astonishing feat. Dipper continued to run further away from his new adversaries until he reached a dead end. Dipper's path was blocked by a greenish wall. He tried to jump over it, but he could only reach halfway up. Defeated, Dipper turned around to see that not only was the turtle and fanged mushroom on their way, but they had also gathered some friends as well. Dipper was shocked as he had counted over a dozen adversaries on their way to make him into mincemeat.

"Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man!" he freaked. He was trapped with no way out! He looked up to see more of the "!" boxes from earlier. "If only I could open those without cracking my head open…"he contemplated. Suddenly, the memory of the box art of "Super Linguini" flowed into his mind's eye. On the cover, Linguini is hitting the same kind of block with his fist…

Dipper, disappointed, slapped himself in the face, "With my fist, not my head…idiot…"

He had to hurry; the creatures were coming, and they looked hungry…

Dipper jumped up beneath the "!" box, but this time, whacked it with his fist. Dipper probably wouldn't admit it, but the action did hurt his hand a bit (it was nothing compared to the previous head injury though). Dipper looked to see an orange and brown spotted mushroom plop to the ground next to him. He bent down to pick up the item. Thankfully, this particular one didn't have any dangerous features.

As Dipper held the fungi, he began to feel different. It felt like the ground was becoming further and further away from him. He turned to see the semi-army of creatures back away, for as every second passed, Dipper was shortly towering over them more and more. He glanced back at the green wall blocking his path. He stepped up and noticed it had a reflective surface. Dipper looked at his reflection through the green hue. He was at least 5 feet taller! He admired his new form, thinking to himself "If only 'Mabel the Alpha Twin' could see me now!"

Using the momentum of this new "giant" form, Dipper was able to hoist himself onto the row of"!" blocks. He ran across swiftly to the other end and peered over. The turtles and mushrooms looked around in circles trying to find their delicious prey.

With a deep breath, Dipper leapt down with a fury, crying out "Here we go!" He landed on the back of one of the turtles, forcing the creature to scurry back into its shell. The other creatures turned around, looked at their fallen comrade, and began to gather again towards Dipper. Out of reflex, Dipper kicked the turtle shell as hard as he could towards the gathering. Within mere moments, the shell made contact with each of the group, rendering them unconscious. "YES!" thought Dipper, celebrating a small victory. However, his heart sunk when he heard a loud *THUNK.* The shell had ricocheted off of the green wall and back towards Dipper at an alarming rate! "WHOA!" cried Dipper as he quickly jumped back on the row of item boxes, narrowing missing his own projectile.

Dipper went back to the beginning of the wall and analyzed the green wall that previously blocked his path. With this newly adjusted height, he was able to see that it wasn't a wall at all; it was a giant pipe! In fact, he could see that there were an entire row of them. With great ease, Dipper leaped to the first pipe. Peering over the horizon, he couldn't tell where the row of pipes ended. He also noticed that there wasn't any floor between the pipes; it was presumably bottomless pits (and not the faulty kind that Grunkle Stan had back at the Mystery Shack). "Now what?!" Dipper asked himself.

Suddenly, Dipper felt a rumbling coming from beneath his feet. Quickly jumping to the edge of the pipe, Dipper watched as a giant Venus flytrap rose from inside the pipe, narrowly missing the young wannabe hero with its mighty incisors. "Phew…" sighed Dipper out of relief, until he noticed the plant smiling at him. He noticed that something bright red and orange was rising from its mouth. Dipper ducked as the beast launched a huge fireball straight at him! "Okay! Okay!" Dipper complained, "I'm going!"

Dipper took another running leap-of-faith to the neighboring pipe. Just as he rested to gather his bearings, he once again felt rumbling from underneath. "Oh, man!" groaned Dipper as he leapt from pipe to pipe, trying to avoid the sinister creatures inside the structures. The pipes seemed to get higher and higher with every jump. At the highest peak, Dipper had to stop in his tracks; there were no more pipes to jump to! Dipper surveyed the area, looking for his next jump. He could feel the fire-breathing beast coming up to the surface!

At the last moment, Dipper noticed a flagpole in the distance. A white flag with a turtle shell emblem stood at the top of the post. Dipper, not thinking twice, made one final running jump, his arms and legs flapping around in mid-air. Reaching out, he caught the white flag and dragged it, sliding down to the base. Amazed at his own survival, Dipper let out a huge sigh of relief. He happily hopped off the flagpole, dropped down to his hands and knees, and kissed the earth!

"Ahhhh! Good ole' terra firma!" Unbeknownst to him, a small gathering of mobile mushrooms appeared, marveled by the blue and orange teenager. Dipper looked up at the small group and noticed that unlike the monsters that plagued him before, these fungi dressed similar to that of humans, each with little hats, vests, pants, and shoes. The smallest one even waving happily at Dipper! Dipper smiled back, and once again, heaved a heavy sigh.

"So, I take it that you guys don't want to eat me…that's great!"

The fungi people invited the exhausted Dipper into their tiny house (suspiciously shaped by a tiny, grey brick castle) for refreshments. As Dipper noisily ate and drank the treats, the mushrooms told him their tale of woe in which the evil King Dragon kidnapped their princess and forced them into a life of slavery. Dipper queried, "Just wondering, this princess…by chance, is she a super tall redheaded girl with an adorable pie-face covered in freckles?" The tiny villagers looked at one another in shock. The smallest led Dipper by the hand into the next room. Midway through the room, the creature pointed up at the western wall. Dipper could only stare in amazement at the sight before him. "Is….is this your princess?" he asked his host gently. The smallest helper nodded in response.

The entire wall was covered by a large portrait of a young woman. She was dressed entirely in emerald green, from the large Victorian-like gown that covered her body to the green high heels on her feet. Fancy jewelry was placed around her neck and wrists. A crown of red hair went straight down way past her waist. Out of all things on the paintings, Dipper was more attracted to the woman's face: those shining green eyes, the freckles decorating each dimpled cheek, and a simple, yet gorgeous smile.

It was Wendy! _His_ Wendy! Or at most, someone that could easily pass as her identical twin…

Dipper, now filled with determination that he was going the right way, turned to his attention back to the young host.

"Can you show me where they have taken her?"

Within a short few moments, the kindhearted villagers pointed Dipper out to his next destination. From their small castle, he could see a huge tower in the distance. However, he was disheartened to see that the brilliant blue sky was now replaced with a pitch black night. Despite the totally clear sky, Dipper couldn't even see a single star in the atmosphere.

"Maybe we can help you on your quest!"

Dipper turned around to see the group of friendly fungi waiting to greet him. His small admirer gave him a small sack filled with items. "Use them wisely…" it warned. Dipper thanked them, but asked about the darkness outside. How would he know that he wasn't walking into an ambush?

The fungi nodded and returned into their home. Dipper looked up when he noticed something fidgeting on the rooftop. It was the whole family of villagers! But what were they up too? Again, his smallest fan waved down to him:

"Here's something to light your way! Please save our Princess!"

Suddenly, bolts of light zoomed from the top of the micro castle towards the Dragon Tower. Upon arrival, they exploded into beautiful red and green fireworks that lit up Dipper's path.

Dipper waved back thankfully to the friendly villagers, "Thanks again! And don't worry; I will save her! After all, she is kinda _my_ _princess_, too!"

He followed the flashing colors (ironically Wendy's colors) through the night sky. It was as if in some manner, she was guiding his way to back to her.

After carefully dodging several squadrons of wicked creatures (Dipper was a mini-master of stealth from all of his sneaking around the Mystery Shack unnoticed), Dipper finally arrived at the huge tower. In true honesty, Dipper really wasn't impressed. Up close, the evil tower simply looked like three or four of the villagers' home put together. Regardless, Dipper continued onward into the building, hoping that his quest would be over soon. All he wanted now for his birthday was to find Wendy and go home together…

Upon entering the tower, the door shut tightly behind him. Unshaken, he traveled down the darken hallway until he came across a bright red light. Dipper was dumbfounded to find his next obstacle: before Dipper's eyes laid a giant pool of boiling, bubbling hot lava. Spread between the magma was several floating platforms complete with rotating fireball barriers.

Dipper, hesitant at the horrid trap, decided it was a perfect time to see what "helpful goodies" the mushroom people had given him. Dipper opened up the travel bag and pulled out a curious oddity: it was a shining, smiling star. Dipper gave the item a confused look, "What exactly are you supposed to do? "

All of a sudden, the star began to shine brighter and brighter. As Dipper held the star closer, it seemed like all of the negative feelings and thoughts left his mind, body, and soul. Instead, everything was replaced with thoughts and feelings of Wendy. The excitement he felt when watched her green eyes shine; how his nerves settled upon hearing her relaxing laughs and giggles; the warming sensation that flowed through his body when her hand held his tiny one in tandem. Dipper smiled deeply upon such memories. It was as if with such happy thoughts in mind, he was invincible…

With renewed vigor, Dipper took a running jump onto the first platform. As he flailed in mid-air, Dipper just barely missed a fireball bobbing up and down in the lava. Dipper hot-foot it from platform to platform until he saw the rotating barrier of fire heading towards him. It was too big neither to jump over nor to step aside. Dipper, hoping that he made the right choice, held onto the star tightly, and closed his eyes, his secret crush still on his mind. Miraculously, the row of fireballs simply passed through Dipper as if he wasn't even there. Dipper, opened his eyes, and looked to see that the trap hasn't fazed him at all. In excitement, he jumped up and down, but quickly remembered that the pillar would be back. Making haste, Dipper navigated through the final set of platforms to reach solid ground once again.

Dipper let out a huge sigh of relief as he landed safety. He suddenly felt a gentle breeze flow in between his arms. He looked down to see that his star friend was fading away into nothingness. As it flashed for the last time, Dipper could have sworn that a familiar voice whispered his name. Dipper's calmness was quickly shattered as a deafening roar echoed throughout the hallway. As he bravely ran towards his final destination, a giant fireball came out of nowhere, just barely nicking him. Dipper stopped to see several more heading his way! Carefully, Dipper ducked and dodged each one until he reached something that looked like a swing bridge. He stopped to ask himself, "Where are these things coming from?"

As Dipper carefully navigated through the bridge, he noticed that it was hanging over a lava pit similar to that found at the beginning of the tower. He had to make sure not to move the bridge too much to avoid falling in!

Abruptly, another roar came from above Dipper. He watched as a giant, green monster had leaped down from midair, right down on top of the bridge. "WHOA!" screamed Dipper as the bridge vibrated up and down uncontrollably. He hung on to dear life. As the swaying began to settle down, Dipper perceived his enormous enemy. The creature (standing at least 15 feet tall Dipper estimated) hunched over him, wearing a huge golden crown and a great red cape.

"Well," Dipper observed. "I'm guessing you're the Dragon King, huh?"

The beast lift his head, and roared once again, belting out a wall of flames, before lowering itself to face Dipper.

"Okay," Dipper panicked. "Let's see what else is in the magic bag…"

He emptied the contents of the bag into the floor. The only thing left was a flower. Dipper picked the flora up and quickly studied it. It looked very similar to the shrubbery found at the beginning of the quest, complete with cute, round black eyes.

The Dragon King looked down at Dipper's "secret weapon," and began to bellow a monstrous laugh.

"Yeah, buddy," Dipper admitted. "That makes two of us…"

The demon beast began to lower its head and breathe fire at Dipper. Without thinking, Dipper closed his eyes, and held the flower in front of his body. A few seconds had passed and Dipper had not felt either severe pain or extreme heat. He opened his eyes to see that the flower was actually blocking the flame breath! After a few moments, the dragon stopped, seeing that its attack had no effect. Dipper looked down at the protective plant, while grateful that it saved his life, wished that it could take the offensive as well. Suddenly, with these negative feelings in hand, a tiny flame shot out of the flower, and struck the beastly creature in the face.

As the Dragon King rubbed its face in defense, Dipper was prepared to take advantage of the situation. Unlike his experience with the smiling star, Dipper brought all of his negative emotions to the surface: Stan's constant yelling; Mabel constantly making fun of his seriousness; Robbie always trying to separate Wendy and him. With these in mind, a giant flame flew from the flower's base, making the king cry out in punishing pain.

Dipper pressed onward, pushing the monster back with his powerful flame thrower. He explained his actions, "Sorry, man. Nothing personal, but no one holds _my girl_ prisoner." (Dipper actually felt great saying that out loud)

As a final move of desperation, the Dragon King reached behind his cape and threw a barrage of hammers towards Dipper. "Hammers?!" cried Dipper in disbelief. "You got to be kidding me!" Unfortunately, a random hammer struck Dipper's hands, making him drop the flower into the lava fit below.

Dipper looked up at the aggravated beast sheepishly, forcing out a nervous laugh, "Ummm….no hard feelings?"

The monster bellowed one gigantic screech as it leaped into the air, in an effort to crush its tiny foe. Dipper realized that it was "do or die" time. As the dragon jumped, Dipper quickly ran across the bridge to the other side of the room. He turned to see the Dragon King land, once again violently shaking the bridge. It turned around to face Dipper and roared at the deception. Dipper looked around for an answer to end this fight. What else could he do?

Suddenly, a voice cried out, "Here, use this!" A golden axe came crashing down right before where Dipper was standing. Amazed, Dipper lounged for the bladed weapon. As he held it, he looked around for a way to use it. He quickly noted the cheap, thinly laced rope work mounting the bridge to solid ground. As the dragon raced across the bridge, Dipper raised the axe above his head and slammed it down on the row of ropes. Within an instant, the bridge collapsed into the lake of lava, taking the horrid beast with it. Dipper shuddered as the monster screeched a horrific death cry!

Exhausted, Dipper dropped the axe and looked around for his secret source of help. Not a soul was found. Dipper echoed through the now, empty room, "Thank you…wherever you are."

He turned around to find a staircase heading further down. Dipper followed the path until he reached another lava pit. He looked up to see the end of his quest. Hanging above the magma was a caged platform, and within it, stood a girl dressed in green garb. Dipper took one last running jump into the platform. He slowly approached the girl, her back turned to Dipper. Taking a deep breath, Dipper called out, "Wendy?"

The girl turned around to face her hero. Dipper looked her over from head to toe. It was the same girl in the villagers' painting: same green dress, same long red-colored hair, and same freckled filled dimpled smile. Dipper took another step forward, "Wendy, is it really you?"

The girl's smile widen, as if her recognition was slowly returning. "Dipper?" she called out. She reached out to the boy, who tripled in size since the last time she had seen him. "It's you!"

"Oh, Wendy!"

He ran up to _his princess_ and lifted her in his arms. It felt surreal; for the first time ever, Dipper was looking down over the love of his life. He embraced her even tighter, "Wendy, I'm so sorry! I didn't know what was happening…"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted. "You're here, now. You came…for me…"

"Of course I would." Dipper whispered. "Always…"

Wendy placed her hand on his forehead, "Bend down, Dipper. You deserve your hero's reward."

Dipper got on one knee and as Wendy approached him with puckered lips, he closed his eyes. He couldn't believe it; he was going to get his very first, real kiss from the girl of his dreams!

However, instead of feeling incredible warmth, Dipper began to feel a piercing pain. He reopened his eyes in shock. Where Wendy previously stood, a whitish blob-squid creature had replaced her. Dipper gasped in horror as he discovered that the creature was biting his arm. All of a sudden, the world became a lot bigger from Dipper's perspective. The creature's bite had returned Dipper to regular size. Dipper, severely angry, directed his full attention towards the bubbly monster. It laughed at Dipper,

"Sorry, Dipper, but your Wendy is in another castle! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Without a second thought, Dipper punched the crackling creature, knocking it into the lava pit below. Defeated, he sank to his knees and closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears.

"She was never here…" he thought to himself. "It was the game just messing with me; this was all for nothing…"

A bright blue light made Dipper open his eyes. He looked to where the pseudo-Wendy stood. There was a flashing blue button with the word, "CONTINUE?" simply hanging in midair. Forcing himself to stand, Dipper walked over to the button. Despite all of this, one single thought hadn't left his mind:

"I can never give up…I WILL find her!"

With new determination, he slammed his fist against this new button. The lava pit below disappeared, leaving another white void. Holding his breath, Dipper walked off the platform and into the new portal, unsure of where his next destination would take him…


	3. Chapter 3

"_White walls surround us; no light will touch your face again.  
Rain taps the window, as we sleep among the dead.  
__Days go on forever, but I have not left your side.  
We can chase the dark together; if you go then so will I."_

"Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin

**Chapter 3 – We All Wear Masques…**

Once again, Dipper landed hard on his hands and knees after falling for an eternity through the white lights. He let out a massive groan as he began to stagger back to balance.

"Where am I now?"

Gone were the bright colors of Linguini World. He looked down to see that he had reverted back to his "classic" outfit of short pants, blue vests, and orange tee. Dipper stood at the base of an underground cave. The area was extremely dark, with very little light leading the way. As Dipper followed the lighted path, a foul, sour aroma entered his nostrils, making him very nauseated. Despite the poor lighting, Dipper began to make out his surroundings a bit clearer. The path was decorated with dozens of pairs of shackles and fetters welded to the walls. Some were completely covered in dust and spider webs, while others were splattered with a red substance, as if they were put to good use just lately. Dipper shuddered at the sight, hoping that the red goop wasn't what he thought it was.

"Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!"

A horrid moan made Dipper freeze in his tracks. "What in the heck was that?" He looked around, step by careful step, trying to find the source of the nightmarish sound. The answer made him stop in hesitation once more.

The painful sounds were coming from a figure lying face down on the right side of the road. Coincidentally, the downed person (complete with messy, yet long red hair) was outfitted with an all-too-familiar green flannel shirt, tight blue jeans, and mud-stained boots. As doubts rose in Dipper's mind, he noticed that the being seemed to twitch violently. He glanced to see that someone (or something) had padlocked its booted ankles in a portable pair of stocks, leaving it totally immobile.

Dipper, remembering the previous deception from Linguini World, was extremely cautious to examine the sight before his eyes. He knew he shouldn't, but at the same time, he couldn't leave the thought lingering in the back of his mind. He couldn't chance it if this was really her…

Slowly, Dipper placed his hand gently on the plaid shoulder, and easily turned it around so he could see said person's face…

"Is that you, Wend-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! he recoiled in horror!

The face starting back at him was barely just that; a thin purple skinned visage barely covering a skeletal frame. The poor creature was missing its nose as well as its top layer of teeth. Dipper was almost hypnotized by its pure black eyes. He stopped himself from retching at the creature's terrible smell; the rot of the grave.

"HHHEEELLLLPPPPMMMMEEE! it moaned in agony, reaching out with its bony hand to Dipper. In absolute fear, Dipper flung himself backwards into the nearest wall, trying to put as much distance as possible. Hyperventilating, Dipper struggled to regain his breath, wondering what he just encountered.

"Was…was that a zombie?"

Dipper let another girlish shriek out as he felt something grip his ankle. He quickly glanced down to see a "zombie boy" trying to pull at him through a form of grate. Like its female counterpart, it was missing several features, but wearing garb similar to Dipper's outfit. As it tightened its grip, it hissed to Dipper in a haunting moan, "SSSSSTTTTTAAAAAYYYYYY!"

Dipper, now fully panicked, kicked free and back away from the creatures. Suddenly, the low flames lighting the way exploded into huge fireballs, revealing more of the dangerous pathway. Dipper gasped in shock at the new sights in front of him.

The creatures in front of him were only two of _dozens _stretched out in front of him! Dozens of disfigured boys and girls were crying out in agony for freedom. Dipper turned back to the boy creature to see that he wasn't reaching from behind a grate, but actually a makeshift cell built into the cave itself. Just by turning his head, Dipper seen that there was several others down the road, each complete with twisted arms reaching for anything that could get ahold of.

Dipper looked around at the walls decorating the cave. Now able to see every aspect, he discovered that they were covered with several forms of medieval torture devices (besides the hanging manacles sighted earlier) as well as various types of paranormal artifacts. Dipper realized that he wasn't just standing in a form of underground cave; it was a form of secret dungeon!

Dipper felt ill. He questioned, "What sort of game is this?!"

Suddenly, Dipper's eyes were drawn to the cavern walls as they began to _bleed_. "No…" he questioned himself. "It's not blood; it's too thick…" He watched in silent awe as the reddish goop flowed from cracks in the wall into two neatly circular puddles. Dipper's heart jumped into his throat as each puddle began to rise up and _take shape_! They each grew crudely shaped legs, torsos, arms, and finally, heads, complete with sad, melancholy eyes. Within a second or two of forming, both monsters growled (despite not having any visible mouths) and stumbled towards Dipper.

Dipper, despite freaking out over the incredible sight in front of him, stood his ground. He didn't come this far to be defeated by these "jellymen." "Back off, man," he bluffed. "I know…uh…jujitsu!"

However, the sluggish creatures continued on their way to the frightened teen. Without thinking, Dipper took a clenched fist and attempted to punch the nearest creature. Dipper's fist went through the creature's torso with a sickening *SPLAT.*Despite this, the creature shrugged off Dipper's offensive. He looked up to see that the monster's empty eyes now turned menacing. "Hehe…" he laughed nervously, knowing that he failed miserably. The monster reached back and swiftly sliced Dipper across the chest. The small teen was hit with such momentum, he flew back into one of the displays, a huge sarcophagus.

Dipper sunk into the cold floor, as the coffin opened, its contents poured into the wounded teen. Dipper screamed as a mummified corpse fell literally on the boy. As he bolted up in shock, the body instantly turned to dust, only leaving behind its face. Dipper looked at the item. It was a bone-white visage, a cross between a hockey mask and a Japanese Kabuki piece. The eyes were wide yet totally empty. The holes across the mouth piece almost resembled a form of twisted smile. As Dipper examined the horrid artwork, a shiver was sent down his spine for an unknown reason. Dipper tried to move again, but appalling pain traveled through his front.

He looked down to where the beast had struck him. A huge gash traveled across his chest. Dipper held the wound tightly, hoping to stop the bleeding. He looked forward to see the goop creatures slowly shambling towards him, attempting to finish him off.

Dipper looked on in despair. He wasn't strong enough to stop these monsters. What was he going to do now? More importantly, what would happen to Wendy? What horrible things would these creatures put her though? Would they join the ranks of the imprisoned souls here? As Dipper prepared for the end, a single voice echoed through his mind:

"SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO DIE…"

Dipper looked around, desperate to see the source of the voice. He looked down to see that a few droplets of his blood had splattered on the tribunal mask at his feet. There was no way that this thing spoke to him, was there?

"D-D-Did you say something?" Dipper asked, doubting himself. He jumped back as the object shot back:

"THERE'S STILL TIME! IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE GIRL, YOU MUST TRUST ME. PUT ME ON!"

Dipper still couldn't believe his ears. "What are you?!" he questioned.

"I HAVE MANY NAMES; SOME CALL ME GOD; SOME CALL ME THE DEVIL. YOU CAN CALL ME YOUR SAVING GRACE; YOUR LAST HOPE!"

Still, Dipper hesitated. The jelly creatures came closer. He was unsure if he could trust this "thing." He heard the raspy voice grow impatient:

"HURRY, FOOL! YOU'RE NO GOOD TO YOUR PRECIOUS WENDY IF YOU'RE WORM FOOD!"

Dipper asked surprised, "Now, how do you know…"

"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!" the mask interrupted. "ONLY I CAN GIVE YOU THE POWER YOU NEED! ALL I NEED IS A LITTLE FAITH! WE CAN SAVE HER! IF YOU TRUST ME! IF YOU PUT...ME...ON!"

Dipper picked up the sentient object and held it his arms. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he had to agree: what choice did he have? As he held the mask before his face, he took a deep breath and thought to himself, "Wendy, for you…" He slipped the mask on…

"OOOHHHHHHHHH!" the mask moaned in ecstasy. Dipper felt a huge amount of heat on his face as it seemed like the mask clamped onto the back of his head.

All of a sudden, blazing pain shot through every aspect of Dipper's body. He screamed in agony as he dropped to the floor and his body spasmed uncontrollably. With his eyes shut tight, Dipper could only listen as he heard the sounds of fabric ripping, limbs stretching, and even bones breaking. Within seconds, Dipper's girlish cries became incredible roars, forcing the pursuing monsters to stop in their tracks. As the pain finally resided, Dipper felt something new flowing throughout his body. He actually felt…good…no…great!

Full of energy and pure strength, Dipper leaped back onto his feet. He looked down at his body. It had changed vastly! His arms were pure muscle, being at least twenty times their previous size. His chest was now bare (his shirt and vest ripped off) but Dipper wowed in the fact that he had pecs on top of pecs! The wound that the slime monster created was fully healed; there wasn't even a scar or marking left! Dipper noticed that his pants (he thanked Heaven his shorts didn't rip open) and shoes remained the same, almost as if they grew alongside his body. This "thing" had hulked him out! He glanced ahead to the awaiting creatures. Their demeanor had completely changed; they were now literally shaking in their boots!

"NOW THAT WE'RE SITUATED…" the mask started again…"GIVE THAT RIGHT JAB ANOTHER SHOT!"

With that, Dipper took a step towards the slime that marked him moments before. He pulled his enormous fist back, and plunged it straight into the face of the monster. With a rush of power, the being flew backwards into the ground with a loud *SQUISH.* To Dipper, it felt like he was beating up on a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich. He quickly looked at the second monster, and delivered a jump kick into its midsection. The creature easily split into two, shortly returning to a puddle of slime from which it came.

"Incredible…" Dipper thought, observing his new form.

"ISN'T IT?" the mask answered in response.

"Wait…" Dipper asked aloud. "You can hear me?"

"OF COURSE! NO NEED TO SHOUT! I CAN HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, AND VICE VERSA. BUT, IT'S "OUR" LITTLE SECRET! YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE THINKING YOU'RE TALKING TO YOURSELF…"

"Alright," Dipper confirmed. "So…what is this place?"

"WELCOME…" the mask on his face introduced, "…TO 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE'! IT'S A JUST A SLICE OF HELL RIGHT HERE ON EARTH!"

"Ummm…." questioned Dipper. "Never heard of it…" He flashed back on all of the games he had tried with Wendy today, and he had never even seen a game close to the one he was trapped in currently.

"EASY ANSWER…" the mask explained. "THERE ARE SOME GAMES TOO INTENSE FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY…THIS GAME HAS BEEN HIDDEN AWAY IN THE ARCADE'S BACKROOM FOR DECADES! WE'RE ON SO MANY BANNED AND PARENTAL ADVISORY LISTS THAT IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY! IT'S OLDER THAN YOU AND YOUR PRETTY GIRLFRIEND COMBINED! "

The mere mention of Wendy cleared Dipper's mind. "We have to get going…"

The mask interrupted again, "JUST A SECOND, THERE, BOY-O! THIS IS THE DEAL: I CAN GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH YOU NEED TO SURVIVE, BUT I NEED SOMETHING IN RETURN…I LIVE OFF THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MORE YOU SQUISH, THE MORE POWERFUL "WE" BECOME…SPEAKING OF…"

Dipper looked down the path as more ooze flowed from the walls, quickly forming into more "jellymen."

"…SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO! MAKE IT FUN! MAKE IT MESSY! REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE "MONSTER" THAT THE MONSTERS FEAR!"

Dipper quickly surveyed the area to try to find anything of use. He figured that he couldn't rely on his massive fists alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an abandoned wooden plank. He bent down and took the 2x4 into both hands. Now armed, Dipper approached the group of creatures and began to use the plank like a baseball bat. The monsters were quickly turned into colorful stains drooping against the cavern walls. With all enemies clear, Dipper and his companion continued onward, looking for a way out of the dungeon.

"Sooo…what's the deal with this place?" asked Dipper. "Who are all of these prisoners?"

"FULL OF QUESTIONS, AREN'T WE?" mocked the mask. "TELL ME IF I HIT ANY PARALLELS HERE…THERE ONCE WAS A YOUNG ADULT, A WANNABE SCIENTIST, WHO LIKED TO DABBLE IN THE PARANORMAL. PEOPLE THOUGHT HIM WEIRD FOR IT, BUT HE DIDN'T CARE. HE LOCKED HIMSELF AWAY IN HIS MANSION AND TOILED AWAY FOR YEARS UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO PERFECT THE ART OF RESURRECTION…"

Dipper interrupted, "Those jelly-guys? They are…err…were people once?"

"YOU GOT IT. ONE DAY, THE GUY FINDS A FORBIDDEN BOOK THAT CLUES HIM IN ON THINGS THAT SHOULD UNSEEN TO HUMAN EYES. YOU KNOW, THE USUAL: HORRIBLE ABOMINATIONS, PORTALS TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND SO FORTH. THE MORE HE DOES, THE LESS CONTROL HE HAS OVER EVERYTHING, UNTIL SUDDENLY, THE INMATES TAKE OVER THE ASYLUM. AND IN THE END…"

Dipper's heart jumped into his throat as the mask concluded, "…IT COSTS HIM EVERYTHING; HIS LIFE, HIS SANITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE WOMAN HE LOVED WITH ALL HIS HEART…"

As Dipper finally found the exit, a ladder leading to the next level, he thought back on the mask's story. Was he as guilty as the man in the story when considering his "adventures" with the journal labeled #3? He climbed up the shaky ladder, looking back on the moaning prisoners he left behind. The mask reassured him:

"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO FOR THEM…THEY'RE NO LONGER HUMAN…LET'S JUST SAY THAT THEY WERE ONCE LITTLE DIPPERS AND WENDYS WHO WERE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO GET CAUGHT EXPLORING THE MANSION GROUNDS. NOW, THEY EXIST ONLY AS REMNANTS OF FAILED EXPERIMENTS…"

Dipper gulped at the new information. He had only cheated a worse-than-death situation by mere seconds...

At the top of the ladder, Dipper opened a pathway into a new room. As he climbed up, the doorway shut tightly beneath him. He looked up to see a new, ghastly sight. This new room was an enclosed fireplace with piles upon piles of skeletal remains as decoration.

"CHECK AROUND FOR A SECRET PATHWAY…" ordered the mask. As Dipper felt around for a switch, he noticed that the surrounding bones were _moving_. "Uhhhh…" groaned a worried Dipper.

"BE READY FOR ANYTHING!" warned the twisted visage. In a flash, something leaped from the pile into midair. Dipper, using his new reflexes, caught it in midair. The creature was a giant red leech, complete with rows of sharp, jagged teeth. As it kept trying to bite the young hero, he slammed the creature down into the wooden floor. Suddenly, Dipper felt a sharp pain in his left calf. He looked down to see another leech latched onto his leg. With a mighty kick, the creature was thrown into the wall. Dipper raised his eyes to see a whole barrage of hungry worms flying towards him. Using incredible agility, he was able to counter every invader, resulting in several tiny *SPLATS* over the room's ceiling, walls, and floor. Dipper remained valiant in his stance, until he noticed that the bone pile finally stopped wriggling. Dipper took a minute to catch his breath.

"FINALLY!" the mask complained. "LET'S GET GOING ALREADY!"

"What's your rush?" asked Dipper. The demonic voice responded, "YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT, YET? AND YOU'RE THE SMART ONE?" Dipper became annoyed by the creature's taunts, "What's that supposed to mean?" The sentient mask bellowed a haunting laugh, "DIPPER, MY BOY, DIDN'T YOU WONDER WHY DEAR WENDY WASN'T IN THE PRISON BELOW?" Dipper stood silent, not able to follow the mask's point of view.

The creature sighed, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT A POLTERGEIST IS?" Dipper nodded, "Of course!" "GOOD, GOOD!" the mask congratulated, "YOU'RE NOT ENTIRELY HOPELESS…" Dipper frowned deeply beneath his newly covered face. "ANYWAYS…" it continued. "WHAT DO THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS BELIEVE IS THE SOURCE, THE ATTRACTION OF SUCH OCCURENCES?" Dipper guessed, "Um…the unresolved energy of teenage girls?" "ALMOST THERE, SLUGGER," the mask persisted. "…AND FOR THIS, WHAT WOULD WE CONSIDER WENDY TO BE?"

As the mask rambled on, Dipper finally found the hidden switch, tucked safety inside of the soot filled fireplace. A small *CLICK* echoed though the room, and with great force, the fireplace turned sideways, revealing a path to the outside.

He stepped outside, desperate to take a non-decayed-smelling breath. When he looked at the outside, a macabre purplish-red night sky surrounded by the twisted and twisted branches of the surrounding woods, he responded to the mask's delayed question, "So, what's the big deal about Wendy being a teenager?"

The mask responded with severe aggravation in its voice, "IT'S WHAT TYPE OF TEENAGER SHE IS, FOOL! THINK ABOUT IT; ONE MINUTE, SHE'S AS LAZY AS A SLOTH, BUT THE NEXT, SHE HAS THE ENERGY AND ENDURANCE OF TEN MEN! TO THE FREAKS OF THIS WORLD, SHE'S LIKE A HUGE PILE OF SUGAR TO A SWARM OF FLIES! THEY PLAN TO HARVESS HER SPIRIT FOR THEIR OWN PURPOSES…"

The mask's revelation made Dipper remember the threat Rumble made against Wendy earlier…

"…we will take great pleasure in draining her life essence and making her part of our world, forever!"

The mask chuckled to itself as it too, could see the recollection in Dipper's mind, "NOW YOU'RE GETTING IT…AS IN THE CASE OF KUNG FU PHOOEY THERE, HE HAD A TASTE OF THE REAL WORLD, AND NOW WISHES TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN. HECK, WHAT BETTER WAY TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE…HE TAKES THE LIFE OF YOUR SO-CALLED GREAT LOVE, AND MAKES YOU WATCH, HELPLESS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! TALK ABOUT MULTI-TASKING!

Dipper cut off the demonic voice, "That's not gonna happen…" Dipper looked to the sky as he heard rustling in the trees above him. More jellymen waited in wait for an ambush. Using his newfound strength, he punched the tree trunk, forcing the monsters down into the ground. As Dipper fought his way through the new batch of enemies, the mask continued to taunt him…

"DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU HAVE A CHANCE? I MEAN, WE BOTH KNOW YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF TRULY BEING WITH HER, BUT AT LEAST, A CHANCE AT SAVING HER?"

Dipper, in the middle of smashing two jellymen together into a gooey mess, answered back, "Hey! Aren't you on MY side?!"

"I'M ON THE SIDE OF WHOEVER'S HAVING THE MOST FUN…" the creature stuck on his face snapped back. "BESIDES, AS A NEUTRAL BYSTANDER, I'D SAY IT'S THE LEAST YOU COULD DO FOR HER…AFTER ALL, IT IS YOUR FAULT DEAR WENDY IS TRAPPED IN THIS NIGHTMARE…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"WELL, YOU WISHED FOR THIS, DIDN'T YOU, BIRTHDAY BOY?! YOU WANTED THE WORLD TO GO AWAY, TO HAVE IT JUST YOU AND HER! YOU DIDN'T CARE THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE YOU COULD GET ATTACKED! YOU JUST SAT THERE WITH YOUR 'VIDDY' GAMES AND CHOCOLATE CAKE, AND DIDN'T SAY TWO WORDS, AND NOW, SHE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD, AND…IT'S…ALL…YOUR….FAULT!"

"Aaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhh!" Dipper roared in agony, giving in to the primal fury within. He _literally _ran through the next squadron of jelly monsters, leaving behind a trail of multicolored slime. After a few moments, he regained his composure.

"What are you?! "he whined, trying to yank the clamped relic off his face. "Why are you doing this?"

"REMEMBER, KID…I'M MERELY JUST A MASK…" it warned. "I'M ONLY AS GOOD OR AS BAD AS THE ACTOR WEARING ME. THESE DOUBTS…THIS BEAUTIFUL RAGE…IT ALL COMES FROM SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE YOU…AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M ONLY AN EXPRESSION OF YOUR HEART'S DESIRE…

Upon hearing this, Dipper struggled to remain calm. Was the deceitful being correct? Was he a terrible person on the inside? He looked back at the trail of the undead he left behind. He realized that the mask was right about one thing: the whole time he fought the monsters that pursued him, he was deviously _smiling _as if he was actually _enjoying_ it…

Further down the road, after an extended brief of silence, Dipper addressed his quasi-comrade once more.

"Okay, I understand why Rumble needs Wendy, but why do the creatures care? Are they working in tandem?"

"NOPE!" the mask corrected. "THE OPPOSITE, ACTUALLY. YOUR PRETTY LADY IS CAUGHT IN THE BIGGEST GAME OF TUG-OF-WAR THAT THE DIGITAL WORLD HAS EVER SEEN! DO YOU SEE THAT BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND?"

Dipper raised his head to see a gigantic mansion looming in the distance. The three-story building stood decrepit and dilapidated, yet seemed to have an ominous aura surrounding it.

"Slaughterhouse?" guessed Dipper. "YOU GUESSED IT!" the mask continued. "ONCE CALLED THE EASTMAN MANSION, AS LEAST BEFORE THE OLD MAN FILLED THE GROUNDS WITH THE UNDEAD. EVERY KID USED TO KNOW THE LEGENDS THAT ONCE YOU ENTERED, YOU NEVER CAME OUT, BUT NO ONE KNEW THE TRUTH. THE HOUSE ITSELF IS A SENTIENT CREATURE!

Dipper's stomach turned sour.

"THE HOUSE DREAMS OF BEING ALIVE! IT-"

The discussion was interrupted as suddenly thunder clasped throughout the sky. In a moment's instance, it began to violently pour on top of the young hero. The purple hued sky was now replaced with dark black and grey clouds…

"IT KNOWS WE'RE COMING…"

Another deafening sound echoed throughout the area. Dipper could have sworn that the sound resembled buzzing…The mask screamed at the young boy, "RUN, FOOL!"

Dipper asked the guide, "Why? What's happening?!"

All of a sudden, the buzzing came closer and closer. Dipper looked in circles as he seen the surrounding trees fall in a flash of light. Dipper carefully dodged the falling debris, unable to make out the source due to the rainy atmosphere. As lightning struck again, blinding him with bright light, Dipper turned around, to the buzzing sound, to see his attacker.

On a short bridge overseeing the path to the house stood a hulking beast, very similar in size to Dipper's current form. Its torso and legs, while muscular, was covered in horrific, infected scars. The face was covered in a simple, yet red-stained burlap sack, with two small eyeholes, revealing soulless, beady red eyes. The most horrifying aspect was the creatures' arms, which consisted of two chainsaw blades whirling relentlessly. As Dipper stood frozen in terror, the creature stepped forward, crossing his bladed arms together, creating a massive display of sparks!

"KID!" Someone from the back of Dipper's mind shouted. "KID, MOVE NOW!"

Somehow, Dipper ducked as the creature swung his weaponized limbs at him, just barely missing him. A low growl came from the giant, annoyed that he had missed his target. Dipper forced himself to form a sentence, "What…what in heaven's name is that?"

"THAT'S EASTMAN'S PERSONAL GROUNDSKEEPER. HE DOES EVERYTHING HERE: LAWNCARE, TENDING TO THE PIRANHA POOL, AND KEEPING UNWANTED GUESTS FROM THE HOUSE! AS YOU COULD GUESS, HE'S NOT ONE FOR COMPANY!"

Dipper continued to dodge and maneuver pass the Groundskeeper's blades. After a third swing, Dipper stepped up and gave the creature a hard jab in the breadbasket. The Groundskeeper, not even taking a step back in reflex, moaned loudly and returned the blow with a narrow cut across Dipper's arm.

"AAAhhhhh!" Dipper screamed, leaping back and checking out the collateral damage. His right arm had a terrible gash, but it wasn't anything life threatening.

"JEEZ!" the mask moaned. "ONE LITTLE CUT, AND YOU ACT LIKE A BABY!" Dipper yelled back, "This isn't exactly little…" All of a sudden, extreme heat formed on Dipper's face, and shortly moved throughout his body, ending up at the damaged area. He watched as the wound quickly reversed, not even feeling a mark of any kind. "SEE…" the mask calmed him. "DADDY MADE IT ALL BETTER!"

Fully healed, Dipper approached the beastly opponent once more. He knew that he couldn't defeat him through brute strength alone. He looked at the unsteady bridge that he and the monster stood on, and noticed the bubbling pond below. Dipper quickly recalled something that the mask mentioned earlier, and an idea popped into his head. He took a small leap back from the bridge and raised both arms into the air, praying that this would work.

With a thunderous fury, Dipper smashed through the bridge, forcing the Groundskeeper into the deep pool. After a few seconds of bubbles, the monster's burlapped head poked up, until it was pulled down violently into the depth. The single stream of bubbles became dozens and dozens, shortly followed by a huge puddle of black goop rising to the top of the lake. The sound of spinning duel chainsaws finally ceased.

"PIRANHA POOL?" asked the mask gleefully. Dipper nodded in agreement. "ATTABOY!" the being congratulated. "YOU SEE? YOU ARE GETTING THE SWING OF THINGS…" "Yeah, yeah…" Dipper digressed, trying to hide the fact that he _might_ have enjoyed seeing his former nemesis fall to its doom.

As he approached the house and ripped open the front door, the mask asked an odd question,

"HEY DIPPY, DO YOU THINK AFTER ALL OF THIS, YOU'LL GET A 'THANK YOU' AT THE LEAST?"

Dipper stopped in his tracks, confused by his companion's question. He thought "Not this again," but part of him was intrigued. "What are you talking about?"

"ABOUT WENDY, OF COURSE. I MEAN, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE SAVED HER FRECKLED GINGER ASS FROM A HAUNTING. DUSK2DAWN, RIGHT? ALL THE CREDIT TO YOU FOR GETTING THE JOB DONE, MAN, BUT NO 'THANKS FOR SAVING MY BACON,' NO HUG, NO PECK ON THE CHEEK, NADA…"

Dipper answered sharply, "She didn't have to do any of that…we have a special bond, a connection where some things are better left unspoken. Besides, she would have done the exact same thing for me…" The comment started to stir in Dipper's mind…

The mask bellowed a monstrous, haunting laugh at the young boy's defense, "SPECIAL, HA! THE ONLY THING SPECIAL IS THE PEDESTRAL YOU PUT HER ON. I UNDERSTAND, KID, THAT BACK HOME IN PIEDMONT, YOU'RE A LONER, BUT STILL, THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS…"

"Shut up…" growled Dipper in a deep, yet low voice.

"…THAN TO PICK UP ON GRAVITY FALLS' LEFTOVERS. PERHAPS SHE AND THAT LOSER GOTH KID TRULY DO DESERVE EACH OTHER…"

In a fit of adrenaline rage, Dipper grabbed onto the nearest wall, and threw his face through it, hoping to hurt and silence the vile thing stuck on his face. The mask laughed at his futile effort.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Dipper ordered. "You don't talk about _my _Wendy that way! Sure, she's not perfect, but neither am I! And more importantly, she accepts my faults, so why shouldn't I do the same?! There are not many people who would do that for me, especially back home! That's why, to me, she's the best! She deserves better than this town! She deserves better than Robbie! But then again, I wouldn't expect a 'mere' mask to understand such a thing!"

For the first time throughout the trip, Dipper had finally managed to silence the demonic, wise-cracking mask. Content with getting the built-up pressure off his chest, Dipper continued forward into the cursed manor, only to be stopped once more,

"REMEMBER, MY BOY; WE ALL WEAR MASKS – INCLUDING DARLING WENDY. UNDERNEATH THOSE LITTLE FRECKLES YOU LOVE, PAST THOSE SQUEEZEABLE DIMPLES...OVER THOSE EMERALD EYES THAT YOU LOSE YOURSELF IN...THERE'S AN EMPTY, DEAD GRAY SKULL – AND IT'S LAUGHING AT YOU. "

Dipper trembled at the haunting description.

"NOW, LET'S GO RESCUE THAT PRETTY GIRL OF YOURS…"

In utter silence, the duo began to explore the several rooms of the mansion, stomping the occasional jellyman guard. They continued on until they came across a room very different from the others. The entire room was covered from wall to wall in mirrors. As Dipper walked down its long hallway, he couldn't help for notice a complete view of his new form. He kinda looked like a pro wrestler! The only thing that creeped him out were the eyes. He stared at the eyes coming from the mask. His gentle brown eyes were replaced with glowing orange-red ones. He thought in despair, "How would Wendy even recognize me? Would she be afraid of me?"

Dipper stopped at the edge of the room where a giant mirror blocked his path. Disappointed, the mask ordered, "EH, CRAP! WE MUST HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN. LET'S DOUBLE BACK…"

As Dipper began to head back through the room, he heard a sound that made him sprout goosebumps.

"Dipper?" called out a familiar voice. He turned around with great excitement. Wendy stood at the end of the hall, trapped in the huge mirror. Dipper slowly approached the sight, just in case, it was another trap. He looked at the girl behind the mirror's image, her red hair messy and ragged, donning a torn white dress, and yet, she stood barefoot.

"Wendy?" he called out. "Is it really you?" She put her small hand against the mirror's edge. "Of course it's me, dweeb. Who else could it be?" Dipper shook his head, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"

Behind the mask, Dipper smiled and put up his enormous hand to meet hers on the other side of the mirror. His heart sunk into his chest as he noticed that in his current form, he would never be able to fit his hands in hers anymore. Apparently, Wendy took notice of it as well, "WHOA!" she examined. "What the heck happened to you?"

Dipper took a step back, so that Wendy could see him completely. "Oh, you know…" he commented sarcastically "…been working out…" Wendy giggled at the teen's incredibly corny joke. "Actually, I had help from a friend…" Dipper explained.

The mask commented quietly inside Dipper's mind, "FRIEND MIGHT BE TOO STRONG OF A WORD…CUTE GIRL THOUGH…"

Dipper stepped back towards Wendy imprisoned in the mirror world. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Wendy clicked her tongue at his concerns, "Don't worry, champ. I may not have your massive guns…" she flexed her right arm, "but this Corduroy girl can still hold her own." She flashed Dipper a dimpled, adorable smile. He laughed, not at the cuteness of Wendy's reassurance, but at the fact that he knew that _this_ Wendy was without a doubt, _his_ Wendy!

He continued to analyze the mirror prison, "Let's see how we can get you outta here…" All of a sudden, the all-too-familiar voice broke his concentration:

"You wussy!" However, to Dipper's shock, the insult didn't come from the taunting mask…

He turned around to see Wendy in another mirror. Unlike the previous one, this one wore a huge scowl on her face. Shocked and stuttering, Dipper questioned this Wendy, "W-W-W-h-h-at did you say?" She flashed an evil grin, "I called you a wussy! Can't you do anything right?" Dipper was floored that such a thing came out of Wendy's mouth.

Suddenly, another comment came from behind him. Once again, a third Wendy had materialized on another mirror, "All the power in the universe, and yet, you still fail miserably. " It was as if she had stabbed Dipper through the heart! As the moments passed, every mirror had its own wicked Wendy, each hurling her own malicious comment at the masked hero:

"What a loser!"

"Is this how you treat the girl you supposedly love with all your heart?"

"You let this happen to me. Why didn't you warn me? Why did you let them take me away?! Don't I mean anything to you?!"

Dipper spun around in circles, attempting to argue with the sinister gingers surrounding him,

"Wendy, wait! You-you don't understand…I didn't know this would happen! You are important to me! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you! Please, you gotta believe me!"

Dozens of scornful laughs haunted Dipper's mind, as the insults began to dig a bit deeper at the boy's troubled psyche.

"Believe you?! HA! I can't believe that I was fooled into thinking you were a great guy! You were one of my boys, Dipper!"

"Wendy…please…" Dipper struggled, his despair slowly growing into anger.

"I should have listened to my friends and left you in the dust a long time ago…"

Dipper ordered in a low growl, "Stop it!" his rage quickly building up inside.

"And you wonder why I chose Robbie over you…"

At that last comment, Dipper hit his breaking point and dove into a blind fury. Rushing at the nearest mirror, Dipper drew back his hand and put his fist through it, breaking it into a thousand pieces. He leaped back and forth, screaming in an inhuman tone, destroying every mirror, desperate to silence the hateful voices forever.

Upon the destruction of the last mirror on the walls, Dipper sunk to his knees, and with head risen, unleashed a hurtful cry that shook the haunted manor at its core. Once again, the voice of the mask began to tempt him again,

"BEING AT THAT GIRL'S SIDE WILL MAKE YOU FEEL A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THE ONE THING YOU'LL NEVER FEEL IS STRONG. IF YOU ACT UPON THAT CHANCE, THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU CAN BE HURT AND THAT'S SOMETHING EVEN I CANNOT HEAL…"

Dipper sighed at the realization. The mask continued its narration, "ADMIT IT, KID! THE POWER, THE STRENGTH THAT I GIVE YOU – YOU LIKE IT, DON'T YA?"

"Yeeesssss…" Dipper hissed, as if he was almost mesmerized by the mask's words.

"FORGET ABOUT WENDY…FORGET ABOUT HOME…STAY HERE WITH ME! WE'LL HAVE FUN! WE'LL HAVE TOTAL CONTROL!"

Dipper looked up from his despair, towards the huge mirror, the only one he didn't break, at the end of the hall. Wendy, _his_ Wendy, was still standing in it. Her smile wiped away, replaced with a doubting frown. Her bright green eyes no longer shined in excitement, but stared at him without color or life. Her hand was still placed against the mirror's edge, as if it was waiting for his to join it. Dipper realized that she had watched him flip out on her doppelgangers. She heaved a heavy sigh, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the mirror shattered into a million pieces, leaving behind a white, shining doorway.

As Dipper thought about both images in his mind, he reflected back on something that the mask had said, perhaps unintentionally. For this, he began to smile. He picked himself up, and continued on his journey.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the mask ordered. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR A SINGLE WORD I SAID?!" Dipper laughed at the creature, "Oh, I did hear you, and yeah, you helped me decide. You see, you gave me a contradiction…"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, in that last little speech you gave, you slipped up. You said that me taking a chance with Wendy will only lead to suffering…"

"YEAH, SO WHAT?!"

"Well, I thought you said before, that I had NO chance at all?!" The mask gave no response. Dipper continued, "The way I see it, is that if even a horrid, pain-loving oddity like you believes that I have a shot, well, then truly, there is hope, isn't there? " The mask's ongoing silence only confirmed Dipper's theory. He carefully entered the white gateway.

Dipper stepped foot into the new room. The odd thing was that it was probably the nicest room out of the whole house. It was a fully furnished room, complete with new-looking carpeting and paint. There was even a fireplace, with another mirror hanging above, in the center of the room! There was no dirt, blood, or goop on the walls either. Suddenly, Dipper seen a bunch of jellymen gathering around a gigantic bed. Upon seeing the brutish hero, the creatures turned tail and ran through the door on the other side of the room. Dipper looked to see that someone was sprawled out on the bed.

Wendy lied unconscious on the mattress. Dipper looked down on her in amazement. She slept peacefully, almost angelic in essence. He hated to have to wake her, but they needed to escape from this evil place, pronto!

Gently, he placed his huge hand against hers, and whispered her name. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and sat up to meet her friend face-to-face. Both were lost in hesitation. A thought sprung up in the back of Dipper's mind: "Oh, man. She's terrified of me…" All of a sudden, Wendy placed her hand against Dipper's masked face, and smiled at him. Despite being locked in the mask, he could feel the warmth from Wendy through the relic.

Using kid's gloves (so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt her) Dipper took Wendy by the hand, and began to lead her out of the room. "C'mon, they'll be back!" Only after a few steps, Dipper felt Wendy's hand slip away from his. He turned around to see that Wendy had dropped to her knees. She had both arms wrapped around her midsection, and began to cry out.

"Wendy!" Dipper exclaimed, lowering himself to her level, "What's wrong?" She looked up with tears in her eyes, "Dipper…it hurts! Help me!"

Suddenly, Wendy shot back up with an inconceivable force. Dipper looked on in great horror at the sight in front of him. The young teenager girl screamed as her bright green eyes rolled back into her head. Her snow-white skinned body began to turn brownish red, stretching and conforming into a different shape. The nails on her hands and feet were replaced with deadly claws. Her screams shortly became haunting moans as her face drooped down, her smile replaced by a set of jagged fangs. Her crown of red hair retracted into her dark, misshapen skull. The white thin dress covering her body was torn even more so in tatters, with red and black slime oozing through every orifice. Her eyes rolled back to face Dipper, but where emerald eyes were once now sat ones of pure black, as if they were made of coal and hellfire. A maniacal laugh bellowed through its body. Dipper stepped forward, and made an attempt to reach the girl trapped inside the demonic form.

"Wendy?!"

With an incredible leap, the creature leaped through the air and landed right on top of Dipper. It pinned him down, while trying to snap at him with its powerful jaws. "Wendy, please!" Dipper begged, as pushed the monster off him without using a lot of force. Determined, the creature jumped back onto its feet. With a roar, it extended its arm towards Dipper. Five sharp blades stretched from the hand, straight into Dipper's shoulder.

"AAARRRGGGGHHHH!" screamed Dipper, grabbing his pierced shoulder in agony. He had to control his temper. Regardless of the situation, he couldn't bring himself to harm Wendy in any way.

"FOOL!" the mask commented on the situation while healing him. "YOU'LL GET YOURSELF KILLED!"

"I…I don't care!" Dipper fought back. "Like I said before, there are things that even _you_ cannot understand…"

The demonic Wendy forced Dipper back into the fireplace. In his struggle, he reached behind him, and his hands wrapped around an object. He pulled back a huge, metallic poker. He held it out, hoping to draw some distance between him and the creature.

"Wendy, please…" Dipper continued to try to reach his love hidden inside the macabre frame, "It's me, Dipper. Your 'Dipping Sauce,' remember? I really, really need you to wake up…please….Wendy."

The creature licked its lips, and roared once more. It took to the air yet again in hopes of tackling Dipper, making its prey an easy kill. As both giants fell, Dipper was shocked as he heard a loud, yet sickening *THUNK!* Dipper looked as the horrid grin on the creature's face vanished. He glared down to see the source of the sound. When the creature had tackled him, it accidentally impaled itself with the long poker Dipper held in his hand. Dipper pulled back to see the object drenched in black and red goop.

"No…." he moaned, as he watched the creature stand upright and shriek. He noticed as the horrific roar quickly became that of the familiar voice that he longed to hear once again. Dipper watched in terror as the beast shrunk back down in size and shape, and shortly, only Wendy, very injured, remained.

"Wendy!" rushed Dipper as he caught her before she hit the ground. He cradled her in his arms, gently calling out to her, "Open your eyes, please, Wendy…" He gasped as Wendy's eyes opened halfway, a small, tender smile spread on her face. "I'm so sorry…" he begged for forgiveness. She looked up to see a stream of tears flowing from the mask's glowing eyeholes. Using her last bit of strength, Wendy reached up and wiped Dipper's now-boney face.

She tried to reassure him, "Don't…be….not….your….fault…" Suddenly, the mask interrupted.

"WHAT A TOUCHING SCENE! YOU KNOW, KID, THERE'S ONE THING I FORGOT TO TELL YOU…YOU SEE, IN THIS GAME, 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE'…"

"No!" Dipper cried out, guessing the mask's statement.

"…THIS GAME WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF, IF NOT THE FIRST WHERE THE HERO DOESN'T SAVE THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS…"

"Nooooo….."

"…SHE ACTUALLY DIES IN HIS ARMS! ISN'T THAT A COINKYDINK?"

Dipper glanced back down at Wendy, her eyes now closed. She whispered one last time to Dipper:

"Good-bye…"

As the lifeless body lay in his arms, Dipper watched as her skin tone changed from pure-white to ash grey almost immediately. Dipper looked in horror as he realized that his love was turning into dust in his hands! Suddenly, a gust of wind entered the room, and literally blew the memory of Wendy away while still in Dipper's arms…

Silently sobbing, Dipper contemplated what he was going to do? How could he go back home without Wendy? How would he explain to everyone how he failed; how he lost her? The mask began again,

"ARE YOU DONE?!"

Dipper was angry at the remark, but didn't have the strength to fight back. He sniffed, "Are you happy now? I've screwed up everything! _My_ Wendy's gone forever!

"DIPPER, DIPPER, DIPPER…HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING YET? IN THIS WORLD, VIOLENCE AND DECEPTION ARE WAITING BEHIND EVERY CORNER…"

Dipper stopped wailing, hanging on the relic's every word.

"…I SAID BEFORE THAT THE HERO DOESN'T SAVE THE GIRL IN 'SLAUGHTERHOUSE,' BUT I NEVER DID SAY THAT SHE DOESN'T GET SAVED PERIOD. YOU HAVE HEARD OF A SEQUEL, RIGHT?"

Dipper sniffled back a response, "You mean…the hero saves the girl?"

"WELL, IT TAKES HIM A FEW TIMES, BUT YEAH, HE GETS THE JOB DONE…EVENTUALLY."

The anger shortly returned to Dipper, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" The mask responded innocently, "WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?" Dipper continued, "So, what now?"

"FIRST OFF, THIS HAPPENS…"

A huge light exploded in Dipper's face, sending him in shock right to the ground. As he stood back up, he noticed that his hulking form had vanished. He put his hands against his cheeks. It was his face again! But what of the mask? Dipper turned around to find his answer.

The mask, now broken in pieces, lied on the ground before him. "What happened?" he asked.

"YOU COMPLETED THE GAME! OUR BUSINESS IS CONCLUDED. YOU NOW CHASE YOUR GIRL THROUGH ANOTHER WORLD…"

Dipper turned to face the door in which the jellymen escaped earlier. It began to glow an eerie, yet familiar white light. Was it another void? As Dipper began to walk through the new door, the haunting voice called to him once more time. "HEY, KID?"

"What?" Dipper called back, very annoyed. "ONE LAST THING TO TAKE WITH YOU. THERE IS A POWER OUT THERE THAT EVEN I FEAR…"

"Yeah?! What's that?"

"LOVE, MY FRIEND, LOVE. KEEP THAT IN MIND OR YOU'LL FAIL IN YOUR QUEST, BUT THEN AGAIN, I AM JUST A MASK..."

Dipper smiled, full of renewed vigor, pressed into the next world, hoping that it would be the last. The mask gave him one final warning:

"SEE YOU IN YOUR NIGHTMARES…"


	4. Chapter 4

"_You could be my someone, you could be my scene.  
You know that I will save you from all of the unclean.  
I wonder what you're doing, I wonder where you are.  
__There's oceans in between us, but that's not very far."_

"Blurry," by Puddle of Mudd

**Chapter 4 – Twice Upon A Quest**

Dipper opened his eyes, following the blinding white light, to discover that for once, he wasn't free falling through realities. He looked forward to see that he was placed upon a mounting steed, galloping towards a humongous castle. All throughout the pitch black sky, Dipper could see strangely shaped dark figures zooming back and forth from the ground. Flashes of red and orange followed their movements, onto the surrounding people. Were they literally raining _fire_ down on these people?

Suddenly, a thin, yet powerful blue laser came from the sky, slicing into the poor horse. "AAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" Dipper let out a girlish scream as he flew through the air, with arms and legs flailing wildly. He landed hard on the ground with a loud *CLUNK.* Despite being in total pain, Dipper questioned the odd sound. He stood up and looked at his current outfit.

Dipper was placed into a bluish grey set of armor that covered him from head to toe. Though it was kind of clunky, Dipper seemed not to mind. On his side, a blue lance was hung on his belt. Not knowing what to expect, Dipper clumsily unlatched the blade and resumed onwards the castle.

Dipper carefully examined the surroundings. Part of the building had caught fire, leaving several servants struggling to extinguish them. All of a sudden, a red gargoyle swooped in and picked up one of the servants with its talons. Looking at the screaming man, Dipper readied his aim, and threw his lance at the horrid creature, narrowly missing the captive. The creature shrieked, exploding into a small flame, and dropping his prey back onto the ground. Suddenly, Dipper felt something in his hand. It was the lance he had just thrown! Suspicious, Dipper turned and threw the blade into the air. Once again, it magically reappeared into his throwing hand!

"Cool! "thought Dipper. "It's like a boomerang…in a way."

Dipper looked behind him to see that same group of villagers staring at him. Dipper froze in nervous hesitation. All at once, they began to cheer for him excitedly! Dipper rubbed his iron plated head in confusion. He never had such a response towards him, ever! For this, he had no idea how to react to him being hailed as a "people's champion."

An elder came from the group and addressed him, "Young sire, praise the heavens that you have heard our cries for assistance once again…"

"Wait…" Dipper interrupted. "You KNOW me?"

The wise man looked confused at Dipper's statement, "But, of course, sire. You are the famed knight known throughout the land for drawing back the demon king and his army of ghosts, goblins, and ghouls from this kingdom."

Dipper, unaware of these statements that the elder had provided him with, played along with his claims. "Right! So, any idea why these things have returned?" quizzed Dipper.

The old man continued on with his narration, "For the Princess, of course! It is said that only those of the royal bloodline can be used in the ceremony to unite the human and demon worlds into one reality…"

Dipper had only one guess to whom said princess could possibly be. "Where is the princess at the moment?"

The elder pointed towards a huge wooden door at the end of the hall, "She is residing in the throne room, but…"

"Thanks, but I can take it from here!" interrupted Dipper, speeding away to (hopefully) greet _his _princess. As he ran through the long hall, he observed that who (or whatever) attacked really had it out for this kingdom. Countless windows were shattered. The rich, fancy carpeting was dirtied and torn up by what appeared to be claw marks. Even the heavy wooden door at the end was severely banged up, almost being torn off its hinges.

As Dipper entered the room, he hustled (at least as much as he could donning armor) to the edge of the room, where a ceremonial throne sat. He sighed in relief as he confirmed his suspicions.

In the decorated throne was Wendy, wearing a golden crown, and draped in a lavish white gown laced with blue trimmings. Struggling to catch his breath, Dipper nearly fell at her feet.

"*HUFF*- Wendy! - *HUFF*"

He looked up at his secret love, surprised that she didn't say a single word. Wendy sat, perfect in posture, without moving a muscle. She stared into space, her green eyes devoid of the spark that Dipper loved so much. Her face was left completely blank, with her trademark dimples gone missing. Her pale, snow-white complexion was now a greyish tone.

Worried, Dipper hopped back to his feet, and sprinted to Wendy's side. He picked her hand up without any resistance, and called out to her,

"Wendy, say something; anything, please!" The teenage girl offered no response, maintaining her stance. Dipper did everything that he could think to regain her attention: he snapped his fingers in front of her face, he whistled loudly, he pinched her gently, he tickled her feet, until finally, he stood up and shook her by the shoulders, calling her name while trying to hold back tears. All of his tactics had failed. Wendy continued to sit on her throne, as if she was a lifeless doll.

Dipper took a deep breath and realized that the situation was so dire, that desperate times called for desperate matters. He knew what he had to do. There was only one thing he could think of that would make Wendy look up and give him a huge, dimpled smile. He hated to do it; he hated it with all his heart, but if it was the _only_ thing that could wake Wendy up, he'd do it a thousand times for her sake. As Dipper was about to perform the dreaded, yet patented "Lamby Lamby Dance", he was thankfully interrupted by the sage he talked to earlier.

"Sire, sire!" he called out, catching up to the armored teenager. "Thou hadn't given me a chance to explain! " Dipper resumed his regular stance, secretly glad that the stranger hadn't come in two minutes later. The elder continued in his story, "Before ye arrived, the monsters had already invaded the palace! While even the guards cowered in fear, the Princess stood valiantly, battling the demons with an unparalleled velocity. .."

Hearing this made Dipper smile. Even though these game-based worlds seemed to lock Wendy into the role of "damsel-in-distress," it was great to hear that she was still kicking butt and taking names. Dipper knew that despite being the "hero" of the story, in the real world, Wendy could easily tear him in two if she really wanted to.

The sage went on further, "…despite this, she was soon outnumbered and verily, she was shortly taken." Dipper looked back upon the empty shell that was his secret love. He asked, "Taken, how? She's right here!"

"The demons kidnapped her soul, her essence, in order to fuel their ceremony. If left alone, it will be only mere hours until the two worlds merge…"

Dipper sighed, once again, picking up Wendy's hand. It was lacking of any warmth. It was almost as if she was already…

"NO!" echoed throughout Dipper's mind. He couldn't think like that! However, Dipper was frustrated. Every single one of these gaming worlds has literally held Wendy over his head, threatening a worse fate for her with every passing moment. Luckily, they have been nothing but psyches and trickery so far, but when would that end? Could there (would there) be a situation that even he couldn't intervene with? The thought crossed his mind that Wendy could have fallen the moment she crossed over to this digital world; that his journey was for naught. Dipper had to stop himself and force all the "what if's" out of his mind. It was the only way he could keep going without driving himself crazy.

He turned back to the wise man, "What is it that I must do to save her?"

"Thou must brave into the point where our world ends and theirs begins. Throughout your journey, you must come across several sacred relics that you must use to combat the demon leader. Without them, you have no chance!"

The man reached into his pocket and gave Dipper a gauntlet. The silver item had a huge blue gem embedded in the middle. The elder explained, "The items are stored in secret treasure chests that were hidden throughout the terrain. The jewel in the gauntlet will flash onto discovery of a hiding place. Use it wisely."

Dipper took the gift and slid it into his right hand. After thanking him, Dipper asked the sage on where to begin his quest.

(shortly later)

"Out of all the places in this world to begin, I have to start _here_?!" Dipper exclaimed in anguish. He carefully stepped further into the cemetery, waiting for the madness to begin. Halfway into the graveyard, Dipper could have sworn that he heard a noise coming from beneath him. He stopped to listen, but no further sound came. After a few steps, the earth began to move under his feet!

Dipper watched in shock as the ground began to rise and sink in front of his eyes! All of a sudden, dozens upon dozens of coffins began to rise up from the ground. Slowly but surely, legions of the undead began to pour out of their raised resting places. Dipper was amazed as before him, it was literally _raining_ the living dead! Unlike the "Slaughterhouse" slime zombies, these creatures had a cartoonish quality to them, though Dipper figured that they were just as deadly.

Dipper pulled out the magic lance and began hurling the infinite weapon at the upcoming horde. While it was successful in vanquishing the vile monsters, Dipper realized that he couldn't take out every single undead person. Carefully, he cleared a path through the demons, and performed a running jump onto the next area. Ahead of him lied a small bridged path leading to another peninsula. When Dipper crossed the bridge, he looked to see that it was collapsing under step. He hotfoot it across the corroding platform, making it in the nick of time.

As Dipper continued onwards to the new land, he could feel a form of resistance trying to hold him back. It took the teen a minute to understand what was happening; the wind itself was attempting to push him backwards. Dipper tried to fight the harsh gusts until he seen the next obstacle. From the wind itself, little red creatures formed, and dove towards Dipper. He attempted to chuck a lance at one of the creatures, but it was easily deflected. He then leaped over the second creature, only to land on top of the third one. As Dipper was struck, he flew backwards as his armor shattered into a thousand pieces!

The creatures looked upon the boy in his current state. They mockingly laughed, and quickly left to pursue greater threats. After a moment to gather his thoughts, Dipper looked to the sky to wonder why his enemies left in pity. A cold breeze quickly informed him why. Dipper glanced down to see his current condition. Gone was his niffy bluish grey armor. Instead, the teenager was left nearly and completely naked! The only thing covering his shame was a pair of white boxer shorts, complete with small blue lamb prints spread throughout.

Dipper smacked himself in the face out of pure embarrassment. For the first time during the entire ordeal, Dipper was actually _grateful _that Wendy _was not_ by his side to witness this. Besides, Dipper knew that in this state, one more blow could spell his doom.

"How can this get any worse?" he asked himself. Suddenly, the gauntlet on his arm began to glow. This meant that a hidden chest was nearby. Dipper carefully navigated to behind a giant oak tree, to where a golden treasure chest popped up. As Dipper hoped for some type of clothing, he struck the box with his lance to open it. A sparkle came from the chest, quickly forming into a jester-like creature, complete with flowing red cape and demonic red eyes. Dipper shook as the being leered at him, when abruptly, it raised its arm and zapped him with a beam of light!

As Dipper reopened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he was a lot closer to the ground. He looked down at his body. The only thing he could see were feathers everywhere! Dipper went to scream in terror, but the only thing that came out was a confusing "QQQQQUUUUAAAACCCKKKKK!"

Dipper tried to raise his arms, but instead he found wings in their place. "Nononononono…" he thought to himself, trying to run from the sight in front of him. Dipper actually fell, discovering his legs were now stubby webbed feet. As he waddled forward, Dipper had seen a small pond. He peered over to see his reflection, confirming his suspicions. The Jester-Magician creature had transformed the teen into a blue duck!

Dipper tried to gather his wits, trying to avoid saying or wishing anything else that could possibly jinx him in the near future. How could he save Wendy in the form of a duck? His thoughts were interrupted as suddenly, more wind based red creatures came upon the boy-duck. In a nervous fury, Dipper leaped away from the peril, quacking and flapping his wings rapidly. "Jeez…" moaned Dipper inside his mind. "I can't even _fly_ in this thing?"

As if the fates heard his plight, the duck's body began to glow repeatedly, and shortly after, Dipper was returned to his human form, albeit his "boxer-shorts-only" form. Despite this, Dipper was happy to be human again.

Dipper finally arrived at the huge gate leading to the next area. He looked on to see that the gate was securely locked. Suddenly, Dipper was taken aback by rustling in the treetops over him. A huge yellow cyclops, dressed in red body armor hopped down to confront the boy.

"Let me pass!" ordered Dipper. The monster laughed in his face, "Like I'm going to roll over for a small child in lamb underwear!"

Aggravated, Dipper pointed back at the beast, "Shut up!" wishing that he would have thought a better comeback. The cyclops began to launch fireballs from his mouth full of jagged teeth. Dipper gasped, throwing himself to the cold ground in order to dodge the projectiles. He quickly shot back up and threw 3 lancers at the beast, making him roar in anguish. The creature then raised his curled fists into the air and slammed them into the ground. Dipper watched as the ground literally rose up and down, as if it was a tidal wave heading straight towards him. Out of reflex, Dipper flipped into the air, avoiding the wave, and before landing, shot a trick lancer into the creature's eye. The cyclops immediately burst into flames, quickly evaporating into the atmosphere.

"YES!" cried Dipper in victory, unsure on how he was able to make such an incredible shot. A shining beacon shot out, from where the creature stood, into the sky. Dipper dove to catch the glowing object. As he looked down at it, he had seen that it was a golden key. It must be for the locked gate up ahead! He looked up to hear someone say from the sky, "NICE CATCH!" Dipper laughed at the announcement, yelling back to the sky, "THANKS!" A flash of light occurred before his face. His body suddenly felt heavier (and a lot warmer). Dipper looked down to see that the bluish armor had once again formed over his body.

Dipper, with key in hand, started towards the gate, when he tripped over something in his path. On the ground, the golden gauntlet began to blink repeatedly once again. He turned around to see that another hidden chest had risen from the ground. Not taking any chances, Dipper stood a great distance away from the chest before launching the lances to open it. Instead of a monster, a silver and gold incrusted shield popped out. Dipper picked up the object, noting that it was too big for him to use. At the same time, he remembered the sage's warning about certain relics being needed to defeat the king of the demons. Dipper placed the shield on his back and headed onwards, opening the gate and entering the new area.

Within seconds, Dipper started to explore his new level. It was a small village, complete with several medieval style homes. Throughout the village lied several old-fashioned artifacts including water wells and windmills. However, Dipper looked on in disgust as he noticed that the majority of the buildings were set ablaze. He guessed that the same flying creatures that invaded the castle must have trashed the town as well. Dipper explored the town further, only to discover that not a single soul was left. He hoped that the defenseless villagers were able to escape in time.

Dipper looked to the sky to see a humongous, yet very crooked tree towering over the entire village. It was shaped similar to that of a hand whose twisted fingers stretched outwards towards the night sky. Dipper peered at the odd sight until he took notice of something off. There were several objects hanging throughout the branches! Dipper shuddered, thinking to himself, "Is that what happened to the townsfolk?"

The armored teenager headed towards the huge tree at the edge of the town. Dipper glanced up to see that (fortunately) the tree limbs were not holding the corpses of the fallen townsfolk. It had contained, however, rows upon rows of hungry-looking vultures. Dipper could feel dozens of eyes watching his every move. His vision shot up as he heard an angry *SQUAWK!* Within seconds, it quickly turned it dozens of screeches. The vultures began to swoop down on Dipper with extreme haste. Arming himself with the infinite lance and started to pick off the rotten birds one by one. As they began to dive faster and faster, Dipper began to jump and flip over the birds as he continued to slay the creatures.

Exhausted, Dipper looked around to see if any of the vicious predators remained. Luckily, all that remained was merely feathers floating around in midair. All of a sudden, the jewel on the gauntlet began to flash again. Dipper excitedly followed the signal to the middle of the tree, when yet another golden chest popped up from the ground. Taking his careful stance from a distance, Dipper opened the box to find a golden cross. Slowly, Dipper picked up the relic, wondering to himself if it would bless the remainder of his journey. He turned around to see that through the pathway leading out of the town stood the second gate. Dipper carefully approached the gate, looking for any clue that could lead him to the key that would open the gate.

Unfortunately, Dipper shortly received his wish as he heard continuous flapping from overhead. It wasn't of the same level of sound that came from the flock before. It was similar to that of a thousand vultures. Dipper browsed up to see a huge monstrous vulture. It bent down to face the young teen, unleashing a horrific roar that almost knocked him off his balance. The giant beast began to flap its wings once more; the massive gusts it created pushed Dipper further back from his target.

Once the beast returned to the air, Dipper, with lance in hand, ran back and forth trying to run the growing shadow above him. The last thing that he needed was a 3-ton bird in his lap! Trusting his instinct, Dipper launched a lance up into the sky, luckily striking the bird on its beak! As the thing cried out in anguish, it violently fell back to the ground, causing a miniature tremor. Dipper quickly jumped to avoid the quake, and in mid-jump, launched another lance at creature's face, making it recoil in pain.

As a last attempt, the creature attempted to peck at Dipper. Despite the long distance, the vulture stretched its feathered neck across the field at an attempt to claim the boy's life. At the last second, Dipper hopped over the vulture's head and beak, taking a lance and piercing its outstretched neck. In one final cry, the creature released a death moan, and as with his cyclops partner, exploded into flames, leaving behind another golden key. Dipper picked up the second key, which immediately opened up the gate before him. Dipper hurried through, wondering what other bosses awaited him in this world.

Dipper discovered that this new path led to a mountainside that was completely covered in ice. Dipper shivered in his armor by merely looking at the frigid landscape. Oddly enough, the top of the icy land was actually steaming! Dipper figured that something important must be located upon of the summit. Dipper looked around for a way to traverse the harsh realm. Maybe he could find a series of footholds or something similar…

As Dipper explored the side of the mountain, he was extremely thrilled to find a worn-off yet still-standing series of platforms and ladders. Dipper set foot on the first row, disheartened by the way that it creaked and swayed as he moved forward. When he reached the second story of platforms, Dipper heard a horrific howl that echoed throughout the countryside. Dipper couldn't tell if it was the arctic wind blowing fiercely or that another monster was on its way to greet him. Suddenly, Dipper felt vibrations flow under him as a new being stepped onto the plank with him.

Dipper stood readily as he observed the new creature. It was a human sized wolf, complete with snow-blue fur and glowing white eyes. Similar to that of the cyclops, the monster also wore a bright red vest. It raised its head to let another bone-chilling howl from deep in its chest. Dipper readied his blade, just waiting for the wolf-beast to strike. Without warning, the wolf charged at the armored hero, attempting to slice at him using razor sharp claws. Dipper ducked over the creature's rampage, and thistly, struck the beast's midsection. The creature howled in anguish, quickly exploding into blue flame.

Carefully, Dipper ascended to the next level, where he came face to face with another ice-colored wolf. Trying to beat the monster to the punch, he quickly hurled a lance at this wolf. The wolf released a blue beam from its mouth, turning Dipper's projectile to ice. The frozen lance fell to the ground, cracking into several pieces as it landed. The wolf creature began to deeply inhale, in which Dipper guessed that meant another ice beam was coming soon. Without thinking, Dipper ran towards the beast, sliding between its legs, and leaping up behind it. Before the ice wolf could react, Dipper had already nailed it with 3 lances, easily dissipating it into blue flames. Victorious, Dipper turned around and immediately jumped back as he just barely missed another ice shot coming down from above. He glanced up to see a third wolf peering over the plank overhead. Taking careful aim, Dipper marked the sinister being, and threw another projectile. The lance hit the beast with such force, that it was knocked off the platform! Dipper watched as the wolf fell to its doom, howling all the way…

At last, Dipper made it to the ice mountain's summit. He stood amazed upon seeing why the mountaintop steamed; there was actually a huge lava pit trailing down into the center of the mountain! Alongside it was a pathway leading alongside it. As Dipper began to travel deeper into the inside of the mountain, he noticed that the lava began to bubble repeatedly. Dipper glanced at the boiling point. He gasped in horror when he seen two glowing yellow eyes staring back at him from the lava!

Dipper covered himself as a figure rose from the lava pit. He lowered his arms to reveal that a dragon-like creature made entirely of magma had appeared before him! The dragon began to blow chunks of liquid fire at the teenaged boy. "Crap, Crap, CRAP!" screamed Dipper, trying to avoid the deadly projectiles! In between shots, he threw two lances in retaliation, with one of them striking the liquid based beast in the face. It jerked back in pain, its yellow eyes glaring at the plucky teen. The dragon's mouth began to flash a bright red-orange. Dipper raised his eyebrows to the sight before him. He knew what was going to happen; the lava monster was planning to unleash a fire-storm upon him! Dipper looked around his surroundings. The path was too narrow to openly dodge without chancing failing into the lava. Suddenly, an idea flashed in Dipper's mind. He reached behind him to the massive shield on his back. He held the shield forward, throwing his entire body against it. Dipper shortly heard a gigantic roar, followed by extreme amounts of heats against the metal surface. The boy dared not to lift his head up during the attack. Even though the attack only lasted a minute, it felt like an eternity to Dipper. After a moment, Dipper began to feel a cool breeze against his blistering cheeks. He glanced up from behind his protection, to see that the lava-made creature sat dormant. Dipper guessed that the demon may have run out of strength using that ultimate attack. "Now is the perfect time to strike…" he thought to himself.

Dipper jumped up from behind the golden shield and hurdled several blades at the monster, with the last shot striking it between the eyes. Unleashing a massive groan, the creature quickly sunk back into the pit from which it came. Dipper resumed hiding behind the oversized shield to avoid splashing lava. As he ducked, Dipper heard a tiny rumbling noise coming from a short distance away. He peeked around the shield to see that a third golden chest had risen from the ground. Once again putting distance between the box and him, Dipper shot at the chest. Dipper gleamed in excitement at the item that popped out.

A set of golden armor lay before Dipper. The plates on the armor seemed a lot thicker and sturdier than the set he was wearing right now. The helmet, complete with red decoration on top, would cover his face, save for a thin line for vision. As Dipper touched the golden treasure, he let out a startled cry as it crawl up his arm and spread out over his entire body. Despite the looks of the armor, Dipper felt great; he was able to move his frame with very little restriction or weight.

Clad in the new armor, Dipper looked back towards the shield that earlier saved his hide. He picked it up and noticed that it, too, began to change. The shield started to conform in size to meet the golden armor, as if they were made for one another. Dipper was now able to hold the powerful relic in his left hand without any strain. "Neat!" he thought to himself. He looked down at his infinite lance, noticed that it had also changed from a blue tint to a shining gold one. Feeling somewhat empowered, Dipper continued down the spiraling path, hoping he was nearly at the journey's end.

Dipper walked down the smelting road, his newly-acquired weaponry taking a bit of the heat off of his shoulders. As he traveled carefully the path, he began to notice that the lava stream following the trail began to bubble once again. However, the pockets were not as huge as the one that birthed the lava dragon minutes ago. High-pitched shrieks began to fill the air. Dipper surveyed in revulsion as small flying creatures started to form from the lava itself. Upon closer look, Dipper discovered that they were actually baby gremlins! He smiled at the sight, for despite being monsters of incredible evil, he had to admit that they were very cute. His demeanor changed shortly as within seconds, dozens of the gremlins were upon him, biting and clawing.

Using both lance and shield, Dipper attempted to swat away the vicious horde. He tried to take shots with the golden lance, but for every one he took down, three more rose up to take its place. Defeated, Dipper hastily decided to retreat down the route, nearly avoiding falling into the magma stream. As Dipper raced down to the bottom, a huge gate closed tightly behind him, locking out his pursuers.

Sighing in relief, Dipper explored his new surroundings. The room he had walked into seemed to be a decaying wasteland with moss and barnacles covering every aspect. Another gate stood at the end of the room; it, too covered in plant life. Dipper guessed that meant that this pathway hadn't been opened in some time. Was this the way to the demon world (and Wendy?)

As Dipper reached the midpoint of the fallen room, he began to hear an odd noise, similar to that of buzzing. It sounded like it was surrounding him yet he couldn't see anything for miles. The buzzing grew louder and louder, driving Dipper crazy. "What is it?" he thought to himself. "Where is it coming from?" The answer was shortly upon him.

From every aspect of rotting plant life, they came. Hundreds of thousands of flies came together in front of Dipper, rotating in a huge circle. Swiftly, said circle began to unite into a singular form. Dipper observed in awe as he gawked at the largest fly that he had ever seen in his young life! The fly-monster immediately shot a green substance at the young armored hero. Dipper, in reflex, blocked it with the golden shield. He glanced down to see that the creature was strong enough to produce a strong form of acid. In response, Dipper struck the fly-form with several lances. The creature suddenly changed hues, from a greenish black to a bright orange.

Confused, Dipper stood defensively as the giant fly dissolved back into the pile of swarms. Within a moment's notice, the thousands of flies vanished, each going their own separate ways. Dipper rotated himself within a circle, trying to attempt to guess where the creature was going to turn up next. He knew that it was still in there with him; he could hear the buzzing.

Suddenly, an oozing substance had dropped down in front of his covered face. His vision shot up to see the fully formed fly monster snarling down at him, hanging upside down from the top of the cavern. Dipper quickly shot his projectiles upwards to meet the beast. After striking it several times, the creature changed colors once more, to a bright red, and immediately, flew down to tackle Dipper. However, instead of using its full form to crush the boy, it disbanded into a murderous swarm.

Dipper ran wildly in a panic, trying to shoo the countless insects. However, they stuck to him like glue; hindering his movements, blinding his vision, and even slowing his breath. Due to this, Dipper began to slip into unconsciousness, his legs wanting to give out under him. His thoughts, however, grew stronger and stronger, his spirit raging:

"_I can't give up…she still needs me…I won't give up…she's waiting for me…"_

With gathering his last ounces of energy, Dipper raised his head and hand into the sky, and shouted the source of his strength, as if he was begging for more:

"WENDY!"

Miraculously, a lightning bolt came crashing down onto the armored boy, spreading through his insect-covered body. Dipper didn't feel pain; if anything, he felt incredible warmth, as if his secret love was besides him, cheering him on. The lightning radiated him until it finally shot out of every end of his body.

Before his eyes, Dipper watched as hundreds of thousands of tiny flames floated back into the ground.

Exhausted, Dipper approached this last gate. He didn't see a key (or even a lock) anywhere. His attention gathered to the top of the gate, where another object was forming. It was a young woman, angelic in appearance, standing out through a misty background. It was enlightening to Dipper to finally see another female character in these games that didn't take on Wendy's form. His concentration broke as the muse began to speak onto him.

"Dearest knight, have thou gathered the sacred relics needed to challenge the demonic king?"

Dipper stepped forward and nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I have collected the golden armor and shield, as well as the jeweled cross."

"Excellent. But what of the Princess's Bracelet?"

Dipper's smile quickly vanished. "The what?"

The angelic being explained, "The Princess's Bracelet emits a form of pure energy needed to create the ultimate weapon needed to slay the king of demons. Without it, ye are doomed…"

"Ok," Dipper replied. "Where do I get it?" The angel frowned. "Thou must find it at the beginning of the quest…"

Dipper looked confused, "So, I have to go back to the castle?" The angel shook her head, "No, you must _restart your entire quest_. _All items_ you have collected will _vanish_, and _every monster_ you have slain will be _revived_…"

Dipper, now annoyed, spoke up against the action, "Now, wait a minute! I don't have time for that! I have a girl I have to rescue, who's probably already peeved at me for making her wait as it is!"

The angel looked down, outstretching her hand, "I'm sorry, but that is the rules of the game. You have no choice in the matter…" From her hand came a blue light, "Enter the light to begin your journey anew…" Dipper turned around and ran the other way, proclaiming "No way!" His escape was abruptly stopped as the way he came was closed off. He turned around to see the blue light heading right towards him, when suddenly, a pink sparkle flashed before his eyes.

The flash was actually a tiny female pixie, carrying a piece of jewelry twenty times her size. "WAIT!" she

squeaked, "This is the Princess's Bracelet, needed to defeat the demon leader!" She turned back to the angel and its blue light, "The demons attempted to trick this boy to prevent his possible victory."

With that, the fairy floated over Dipper's hand and dropped it into his hand. It was a golden bracelet, complete with red and green jewels. Dipper carefully secured it around his wrist, flashing it to the pursing angel, "So…can I go now?" The being smiled, nodding, and shortly faded away. The sound of a lock opening echoed throughout the room. The final gate slowly opened in front of Dipper.

He turned his attention back to the pixie, "Thank you, but how did you know…" The fairy gave him a cute smile, "Your princess asked me to help you…" "_My_ princess?!" thought Dipper. He continued to quiz the fairy, "Is she alright? Where is she now?"

The fairy explained, "At the moment, she is trapped in the void between the living world and the demon world. I met her after she risked her life to save me from a hungry demon. She was watching you fight for her benefit. She could tell how badly you miss her, and I could see how much she misses you…" Hearing that last line made Dipper blush and rub his arm in embarrassment. "…for this, she asked me to help you in your journey, for I can transverse the borders between life and death."

She then turned towards the open door, "If you wish to return life to the Princess, you must do battle with the demon lord. Once successful, her soul will return to the mortal plane, and the demon world will vanish once again…"

Dipper bravely took a step towards when something caught his eye. The hand in which had Wendy's bracelet around it had a small blue fireball hovering just above. The fairy looked on in wonder, "The bracelet reflects the purity of its wearer. As long as you carry hope in your heart, you can win!"

Dipper continued into the final gate when he heard the fairy's final encouraging words, "Your princess has total faith in you. She's waiting for you, so don't let her down!"

Dipper nodded and turned onwards to the last battle. After stepping through the massive door, he froze in shock of the sight before him.

On a gigantic throne sat a terrible horned, red demon, similar to that of the gargoyles he met at the beginning of his quest. It wore ceremonial body armor across its arms and legs. Perhaps the most gruesome sight was the fact that the demon had _another face_ inside of its torso.

Trying to fight his nervous shakes, Dipper approached the demon leader, when suddenly, it reached out its finger at him. Sharp laser beams sprung out from the tip. Dipper quickly dove in the opposite direction. Upon getting back to his feet, Dipper took a golden lance and threw it at the leader's face. In quick reflex, the demon flicked the projectile away, as if it was a gnat. Dipper looked down in despair at his empty hands, until he seen his right hand glowing. The fairy's words came back to Dipper. Immediately, he emptied all scary and negative doubts from his head, and replaced them with thoughts of Wendy. He watched in amazement as the flame on his hand grew ten-fold!

He looked back at the demon leader, his arrogant smile now gone from his face. Dipper threw a giant blue fireball at the evil being, making him cry out in pain. As Dipper continued to pelt the boss, the creature ducked a shot, and fired a finger laser back, striking Dipper. For this, his golden armor and shield shattered into a million pieces.

"Oh, no!" he thought as he regained his balance. Dipper was once again left in the form of near nudity with the mere exception of the lamb marked boxers. However, he noticed that Wendy's bracelet was still attached. Dipper tried to throw another fireball, but this time, it only traveled half the distance before dissolving. The demon king laughed at the half-naked boy's efforts.

"The golden armor must increase the range of the weapons…" Dipper analyzed. "The only way I can finish this is if I get up close…"

Dipper took a deep breath and quickly ran to his opponent. He jumped up on the leg of the beast, while dodging more lasers. Angry, the king swung at the miniature hero, completely missing its target. While outstretched, Dipper leapt to the huge bicep, and ran up it, finally meeting the villain face-to-face. As the king shrieked in anger, Dipper jumped towards the monster's face, with a huge fireball in his palm, and once again, his precious redheaded crush on his mind…

The room exploded with gushes of blue light! Groggy, Dipper looked up at the sight before him. From the carcass of the fallen demon leader, hundreds of lost souls escaped from its body. Dipper stood in quiet awe, waiting to see that belonging to his lost love. After a few seconds, the lights faded from the corpse, leaving behind nothing else but a new portal. Dipper was worried; why didn't he see Wendy's soul? He quickly entered the portal, hoping an answer was waiting for him on the other side.

Once the blinding white light faded, Dipper was greeted with a familiar voice.

"Sire! Thanks goodness you've returned! You did it! The demons have retreated!

Dipper looked up to see that the kindly sage from earlier was there to greet him. The portal had taken him back to the downtrodden castle where his quest began. Dipper glanced down at himself to see that the bluish armor had returned to him, saving him from total embarrassment. He turned with hope to see that _his _Wendy, restored to full life, was waiting for him on the royal throne.

Dipper looked at an empty throne to see neither Wendy nor empty shell that sat there earlier. All that remained was another white portal adjacent to where the throne stood. Dipper turned with desolation to the wise man, "Where is the princess? What happened?!"

The elder looked down, unable to meet Dipper face-to-face. "As we watched the demons flee the land from inside the castle, we heard a noise coming from this room. As we walked in, we had seen the Princess being led outside through that "door of light." Unfortunately, sire, we didn't see who her companion was…"

Dipper looked at the portal with confusion. "Wendy left of her own accord?" he asked himself. This didn't make any sense. Didn't the fairy say that she was waiting for him? The great fears that Dipper buried deep within himself quickly rose back up to the surface. What if this was another game messing with him? Was Wendy even here beforehand, or was it a trick of his mind? Dipper sighed at the realization. How much longer was this going to go on? There were _dozens_ of different games at the Gravity Falls Arcade. Would he have to go through every single one to find Wendy? He wasn't sure anymore.

Dipper turned and thanked the man once more for his assistance. As he walked into the next portal, he carried a single thought in his mind:

"_Where are you, Wendy? Wherever you are, I just hope you're okay…"_


	5. Chapter 5

_"I'll watch the night turn light blue,  
but it's not the same without you,  
because it takes two to whisper quietly.  
The silence isn't so bad  
'till I look at my hands and feel sad,  
cause the spaces between my fingers  
are right where yours fit perfectly"_

"Vanilla Twilight," by Owl City

**Chapter 5 – When A Damsel Is Anything But…**

(Hours earlier…)

Wendy Corduroy awoke to a white light blaring in front of her. She sat up, and rubbed her eyes, trying to refocus her vision.

"Where am I?" she thought to herself. Her mind was a total blur. Trying to gather her senses, Wendy attempted to recall the last few moments. Within seconds, it all came crashing back to her. The secret surprise party that she craftily plotted for Dipper. Letting her competitiveness get the best of her in arcade dueling versus the newly appointed teen. Wendy smiled at the happy memories, until they quickly vanished after she began to remember the rest of that fateful day. Her screams echoing as the muscle-bound warrior did the impossible – _came through the video screen - _to accost her. And Dipper; _sweet, brave_ Dipper, struggling in vain to keep her in the real world. She remembered the pixelated warrior laughing maniacally as he lit the little teen up like a Christmas tree despite her protests.

At that last thought, Wendy came to a shocking realization: "I'M IN THE MACHINE!"

Wendy jumped up to look at the new world around her. She was placed into a blue and green tinted room without any doors or windows. Oddly enough, it didn't appear to have real walls or floors either. The entire room seemed to be made of thin, glowing wire-frames with a black background stretching to infinity.

A bellowing voice came from behind the shaken teenage girl, "WELCOME…TO YOUR NEW HOME!"

Wendy turned around to meet her captor face to face. Before her, stood a very real, yet threatening Rumble McSkirmish. Wendy stood in silence awe as the towering pixelated menace, complete with terrifying grimace, approached her. Despite being shaken up, Wendy forced herself to put up a brave front. On the inside, she chanted to herself, _"Don't show him you're afraid. Don't show him you're afraid…"_

After a moment's passing, Wendy finally addressed the villain, "W-What are you? And what do you want with me?"

Rumble glared down, laughing at her question, "HAHA!" he mocked, pointing his massive hand straight down at Wendy, "YOU! Red-headed ginger princess are being held as bait for the little girlish-boy!"

"Wait!" Wendy exclaimed. "_I'm_ bait for Dipper? " She gave the rogue a confused look, "Isn't that a bit of a cliché?" The thought flashed in the back of her mind that she was talking a relic of the '80s after all. That quickly changed to thoughts of Dipper. Why did this guy seem to hate Dipper? Heck, how could _anyone_ hate Dipper?

She shot back at the warrior, "What do you have against the kid, huh? What did he ever do to you?"

Rumble's finger aimed closer for Wendy's face as he screamed louder, "Little boy cost Rumble the most important thing in Rumble's life: his honor. A warrior is worth _nothing_ without honor…"

He relaxed his stance, turning his back on the captive girl. "So, Rumble decided to even the score. Rumble took what is most _precious_ to little chubby faced boy. .."

Wendy reflected on what the pompous karate master had just said. "_I'm precious to Dipper_?" she repeated to herself, with a warm feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Rumble continued onwards…"I've seen though the screens, to see that _he_ is also _precious_ to you, too…"

Wendy glared down at the wire-framed floor, her cheeks turning a rosy shade in embarrassment. She pondered to herself, "Wait…this means that this thing was watching Dipper and me all day long!" She shuddered at the idea of Rumble stalking her as she prepared the arcade with tender loving care for Dipper's surprise.

Rumble slightly turned his head, to see the freaked-out redhead out of the corner of his eye. "Just think, the boy is heading to a never-ending doom…and it's all thanks to you…Gwendolyn."

Wendy's eyes shot up, her fear quickly being replaced by anger. This digital freak had just hit the right button to set her off. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" she demanded.

The pixelated being turned around with a smirk, complete with Wendy's all-day pass from the Gravity Falls Arcade in hand. Wendy angrily glared at her captor, putting her hands on her hips. "So, not only are you a kidnapper, you're a thief as well!"

Rumble laughed at the young girl's remarks, "HAHA! Rumble thinks you have more important things to worry about, Gwendol—"

The agitated girl rushed at her tormentor in a blind rage, "IT'S WENDY TO YOU, JERKASS!" Suddenly, Wendy felt her feet get yanked back, making her stop in mid-step. She glanced down to see that her kidnapper had bolted her ankles to the floor with a pair of fetters. Struggling, Wendy bent down to try to open the cuffs, only to find that they were padlocked on tightly.

Wendy looked back towards Rumble in total disgust. "You-You have me _chained_ up like a _dog_?" she questioned in disbelief. The menacing game character gloated mistakenly, "Well, you are what you eat!" Wendy yelled back in anguish, flailing her arms in irritation, "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE!"

Wendy stood up back, despite her limited mobility. She started to chuckle to herself crazily, shortly attracting the full attention of Rumble. He looked upon his prisoner in confusion. Wendy finally raised her head to the warrior, "You know what, guy…" she explained. "You're right; Dipper _will_ come for me, but you greatly underestimate him. In the real world, I've seen that kid take on some crazy things: ghosts, monsters, goblins…you name it. He beat all these, without even breaking a sweat, and here, you honestly think that _you_, some Japanese programmer's _failure_, actually stand a chance against him?! Some honorable warrior you are…"

Rumble rushed towards the trapped girl, grabbing her by the dimpled face, immediately wiping away her sarcastic smirk. He lifted Wendy into the air, her leg irons digging painfully into her legs. Despite the fear in her heart, Wendy's angry emerald eyes never turned away from the villain's horrid red ones. His booming voice literally shook her petite frame.

"FOR SUCH A SMALL GIRL, YOU HAVE A REALLY BIG MOUTH! YOUR LITTLE HERO WILL FALL IN DEFEAT, AND THE LAST THING HE WILL SEE IS ME TAKING THE LIFE BELONGING TO YOU, AND STARTING ANEW IN THE REAL WORLD! SO, SIT THERE, BE A GOOD DAMSEL, AND SHUT UP! GOT IT?!

Wendy, while continuing to stare down her captor, was petrified at the situation at hand. There was no witty comeback or sassy remark to be made. Rumble let go of the speechless teen, with Wendy landing hard on her bottom. She looked up with despair at the brutal villain, as he turned away in loathing and walked towards the northern wall. Wendy watched as Rumble raised his arms into the air, and screamed loudly. His hands were quickly surrounded with _white flames_! Rumble touched the wall with his energy induced digits, quickly producing a white portal. As he was about the walk though, Rumble stopped and turned back to the girl left on the floor,

"Don't worry about your boy. After _we_ break him, I'll make sure to bring him back here to you. This way, you both can die in each other's arms. It'll be romantic that way…"

Wendy could only watch in silence as the heartless warrior vanished into the portal, leaving her stuck alone in the room. A million thoughts rang in and out of her mind. She wasn't merely talking trash to her abductor. She knew that Dipper would come to her aid without question. However, Wendy recalled her warning to Dipper earlier in the day:

_"Remember, Dipper, these old school games from the '80s are super tough; at least tougher than what we grew up with. We gotta beat this guy together!"_

Wendy figured that Rumble (and any other gaming freaks that lied in wait) would cheat any way they could in order to succeed. How could Dipper go up against such odds alone? Besides, Wendy had NO plans of being anyone's "damsel-in-distress!" She glared up the portal that Rumble had left behind. Wendy knew that this was her only escape, but there was no chance in reaching it as long as she remained trapped in the foot restraints.

Still sitting on the ground, Wendy analyzed her shackles. The cuffs encircled her boot-covered ankles, each having a welded chain that flowed into a spot on the wire-framed floor. Each manacle latch had a steel padlock snapped onto it, preventing Wendy from undoing it without a key. Wendy did know how to pick and jimmy locks, but without a hairpin or splinter at hand, she was unable to do so. Still determined, Wendy jumped back up on her feet and pulled on each leg, only to be defeated by the tautness of her chains, the multiple *CLANK* sounds echoing throughout the room.

In her struggles, Wendy did notice something odd that may help her. While the fetters restricted the movements of her boots, she could feel that her small feet inside had a little bit of wiggle-room. Sitting back on the ground, Wendy pointed her left foot as straight as humanly possible, and using both hands, pushed down against her boot. After a few minutes of trying, the slender ped was able to slide out from under the shackle clamped around the ankle of her boot! She lifted her foot out, and quickly started on the right one. Would she have the same luck as before? As before, Wendy maneuvered her other foot pass the pinching cuff after a few tries. Wendy wiggled her now-freed feet in victory! She looked back on her abandoned, yet still chained boots lying on the floor, feeling extremely grateful that she had chosen oversized footwear as a fashion statement.

Now, that she was no longer bound, Wendy headed to the white portal on the wall. She needed to reach Dipper as soon as possible. "Maybe…" Wendy thought to herself, "…once I find Dipper, we can put our heads together and break out of here!" Still a bit worried, Wendy held her breath and leaped into the white portal.

As Wendy landed on the other side, she looked around this new room presented before her. It was similar to design to the one before, except that this area had several portals placed across the room. Tiptoeing silently in red-and-green plaid socked feet, Wendy peered into the nearest portal. She watched through the window as numerous directional arrows flowed through the sky, against a psychedelic background, with a bass-thumping beat echoing everywhere.

"Cool! It's _Dancy Pants Revolution_!" Wendy thought to herself. She wondered what else these portals hid. Sneaking around to the next, the teenager peeked into a world where a scared young delivery boy was being chased down the street by dogs, cats, angry neighbors, and even the grim reaper itself. Wendy pulled her head back, and quickly came to a realization, "All of these windows must represent the different games at the Arcade. This room must act as a form of hub linking them together!"

Wendy slid silently down the hall, glancing at the various gaming worlds. Hopefully, she could find out where Dipper was taken to without much hassle. As she walked past another row of portals, Wendy stopped in mid-step as one caught her eye.

A hint of nostalgia struck Wendy's mind as she watched the world before her. It was a colorful backdrop full of giant green pipes, floating "!" boxes, and dancing shrubbery. A smile quickly spread across her dimpled face as she recognized it from her childhood. "Wow!" she thought to herself, "It's Super Linguini Bros!" However, it was the next sight that made her heart jump into her throat. Wendy watched as a small boy, dressed in blue and orange garb clumsily made his way past the obtuse obstacles in his path. She squint her eyes, trying to get a better look at the young hero. She gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "Dipper!" she exclaimed, her smile only widening further. Despite the seriousness of the situation at hand, Wendy couldn't help but find the sight before her incredibly hilarious. She giggled at the spectacle of the little hero (albeit _her little hero_) dressed like Super Linguini. She only wished that she had a camera to record the adorable sight before her.

Suddenly, an ear-puncturing scream echoed through the chamber: "HUH?! SHE'S GONE! FIND HER NOW! Wendy guessed that her captor finally discovered that she had slipped her chains. It would only be a matter of time until they found her again. Wendy looked back into the portal before her. She whispered to herself, "Looks like this is my stop…" and jumped into the portal without a second thought.

Once again, Wendy's vision was obstructed by a white light. She landed hard on her knees upon entry to the new world. While trying to regain her vision, Wendy struggled to regain her balance, but her body felt "off" for some reason. After a moment, her eyes adjusted to the world around her. Wendy glanced in shock at her appearance. Gone were her plaid shirt and socks as well as her blue jeans. Wendy was dressed entirely in emerald green, from the large Victorian-like gown that covered her body to the green high heels on her feet. Fancy jewelry was placed around her neck and wrists. Her crown of red hair was straightened to perfection.

Stumbling to her feet (not being a fan of heels), Wendy explored the room she was warped to. It was a bricked room, complete with marbled, yet reflective flooring. At the front of the room was a steel barred gate extending from the ceiling to the floor. Wendy made her way to the gate, only to discover that it was locked up tight. She rattled the door in disbelief, sighing to herself, "Out of the frying pan…"

Wendy observed that there were two giant stone statues in front of the gate. Her natural curiosity taking advantage, Wendy reached out to touch one of the enormous rocks when suddenly, it moved in reflex, forcing her to jump back in astonishment. The "rocks" were actually breathing! Both statues turned around to reveal that they were giant snapping turtles, complete with helmets and body armor. They shot a nasty glare at the startled girl, then, immediately turned back around, as if Wendy was no bother to them. Wendy looked in confusion at the reptiles. Were they keeping _guard_ over her?

Wendy thought about the situation; with all things considered, she was dealing with _turtles_, after all. Surely, she could easily outsmart them. An idea popped into her mind. At a second's notice, Wendy dropped to her knees, grabbed her sides, and began to cry out in pain, "Guard! Guard! Help! The pain! I can't stand it! Please!" Wendy went on faking moans and groans for five minutes straight, trying to attract any attention from her turtle guards. Both creatures completely ignored the pleading redhead. Wendy looked up in disbelief, "That gag usually works in the movies…" She decided on another tactic to get out of this jam.

Wendy stood back up, and grabbed the fancy jewelry from her wrists and neck. She thought to herself, "Far too ritzy for my tastes, anyways…" She reached back through the gate, tapping the two guards on their shells. "Hey, turtle!" she addressed. "Excuse me, Mr. Turtle. How about you guys open the door in exchange for a lovely jeweled necklace? Or perhaps a slightly used gorgeous golden bracelet?" The turtles turned their heads slightly at the grinning ginger, only to resume their position a spilt second later.

"Your loss…" Wendy bluffed, slowly walking away in defeat. She reexamined her surroundings. There had to be another way out of there! After all, she was no help to anyone locked away in a cell. Wendy glanced at the other side of the room, revealing an open window. Wendy peered down to see that she was whisked away in a giant tower, reaching several stories above the ground. She also saw that there was another open window immediately under her current position.

Wendy turned around to look at the guards at the front of the gate. They still had their hard-shelled backs to their captive, oblivious to the plan that she was hatching. Looking back towards the windowsill, Wendy took a deep breath, trying to calm herself for the stunt that lied up ahead. Lifting one leg at a time, she reached behind her and removed the green heels, figuring that it would be easier to scale down the tower in bare feet. Wendy jumped onto the ledge, the cold gravel sending chills through her soles. She threw her weight against the wall, reaching bit by bit for the next hold, enabling her downward passage to the next window.

Suddenly, Wendy's feet slipped on the gritty surface, making her lose balance. She tried to claw at the wall in front of her to regain her balance, but couldn't find anything to take ahold of. Wendy closed her eyes and let out a shriek as she began to fall to the ground. After a moment of freefalling, Wendy felt a breeze flowing beneath her instead of landing painfully on the hard ground. She opened her eyes and discovered that she was _floating in midair_! The frightened teenager let out a nervous laugh as she hovered about the ground, nearly cheating death. She looked down at her legs dangling in the air freely. Wendy observed the way that the wind blew through her outfit. She quickly realized that it was her emerald green dress that saved her life! Somehow, the wind blowing through her dress enabled her to halt her descent. Carefully, she adjusted herself to aim towards her goal of the second open window. After a few attempts, she successfully landed on the window ledge with ease. Relieved, yet exhausted, Wendy sunk down to the floor, resting for a minute to regain her wits.

As Wendy relaxed, trying to calm her nerves, she could hear high pitched grunts and screams coming from somewhere inside of the room. Wendy quickly regained her balance and followed the sound to an open balcony. She surveyed the surrounding area to see that she was just above a huge lake of boiling lava. Right in the middle of the lake stood a huge wooden bridge stretching out from one side of the room to the other. Wendy glanced to see two figures moving about on the swaying bridge. The first was a giant dragon-turtle thing, wearing similar armor to that of the turtle guards from earlier. The monster was towering menacingly over a small blue and orange speck. Wendy squinted to see what exactly is was, and upon discovery, she gasped in horror! "Dipper!" she exclaimed. Wendy could do nothing but watch as this thing was two seconds away from swallowing the young hero whole.

Not accepting defeat so easily, Wendy quickly ran around the room, looking for anything that she could use to give Dipper an advantage. Her attention was caught on a golden coat-of-arms, consisting of two huge axes. Wendy lifted the heavy object with great haste, huffing it back to the balcony. Using all of her strength, she lifted the axe over her head and tossed it over the edge. She cupped her hands and yelled down to the little warrior, "Here, use this!"

Wendy watched as the golden axe crashed on the platform, right next to where Dipper was standing. Wendy sighed in relief, thankful that she didn't accidentally hit Dipper with the falling blade. She watched as Dipper, with great struggle, raised the heavy weapon over his head. Wendy expected her friend to go on the offensive, but was left dumbstruck when she observed Dipper slicing through the rope holding the bridge, plunging the huge beast into the deadly magma. Wendy thought to herself, "Why didn't I think of that…" Then again, Dipper was one of the smartest and most resourceful guys she had ever met (at least, when he put his mind to it…)

Wendy leaned over to cheer on her little hero, "YAY! WAY TO GO, DIPP-"when she felt a hand cover her mouth. She immediately sensed more hands forcefully come upon her, pulling her away from the balcony edge (and Dipper…). Wendy looked to her left and right to see that a small battalion of turtle guards had her in their grips, leading her towards the center of the room. Wendy tried to tug away and drag her feet, but she was vastly outnumbered. Wendy glared at her captors, with an embarrassed smile on her face. "Hey, guys…" she said, addressing her kidnappers. "Remember that deal about trading you all of my jewelry to let me go? The offer's still on the table, plus if you can act now, I'll throw in a sweet pair of green pumps, whatdya say?" Wendy looked at the stone-cold faces of the guards, seeing that her bargaining skills had failed her once again.

Wendy peered ahead to see that she was being dragged to a huge object, covered with a huge drape. One of the turtles left Wendy's side, (the other turtles tightening their grip on the teenage girl) and pulled back the curtain. Wendy closed her eyes, and turned away, hoping to avoid whatever fate these creatures had in mind for her. After a moment, Wendy peeked an eye opened to see that nothing had happened.

She turned back to see that the hidden object was actually a giant mirror. Wendy looked back with great curiosity at her own reflection. She wasn't a fan of getting dressed up, but she had to admit that she looked great in this princess get-up. Wendy sighed in relief that it was merely her reflection staring at her, "Phew! Nothing to worry about!" All of a sudden, the reflection leaped out of the mirror, grabbing a shocked Wendy by the shoulders. The doppelganger gave her an evil grin, "Yeah, I'm nothing to worry about!" The creature pulled the shivering teenager without any effort into the world on the other side of the mirror…

Wendy awoke once again to a startling white light. Still in shock, Wendy shot up to see what strange new world she was forced into now. She was standing in a dark purplish-black room, which seemingly went on forever, without beginning or end. Even though it felt as if she was walking around on solid ground, Wendy observed in dread as it appeared that the floor had no limits as well. While looking for an exit, Wendy began to feel extremely frigid. She put her arms up to her chest to try to fight off the cold atmosphere. She glanced down to see that her outfit had changed again. Wendy was now dressed in a tattered white gown and stood barefoot. She turned to see that her perfectly straighten red hair that resumed its natural messy styling. She wondered to herself if her clothing purposely changed to match that of the surrounding video game world, similar to how she'd seen Dipper wearing a Linguini Bros. outfit.

Wendy seemed to wander endlessly, trying to find any source of life in this void. Her green eyes lit up when finally, she noticed a bright light glowing from the wall. Was it another portal? Wendy rushed with excitement to the light only to discover that it was not a portal, but a window to another room. While greatly disappointed, Wendy looked through to see what lied on the other side. The room inside the window, ironically, was completely blanketed with various mirrors. Wendy sighed in frustration, and was about to turn away, until she heard a new noise coming from inside the room locked behind the window.

She looked on in amazement as she watched a new figure entered the room. It wore a terrifying mask with glowing orange eyes on its face. It had a giant torso, complete with enormous pecs and upper body muscles. "Man!" Wendy thought to herself, "That guy is even bigger than my dad!" She looked on to see that the creature wore dark short pants and sneakers that seemed awfully similar to her. As the giant began to turn away, the image of her lost friend struck the mind of the redheaded ginger. Despite her doubts, Wendy began to slam her palm against the window that trapped her, hoping he could hear her:

"Dipper?"

Slowly, the hulking creature turned back around and headed straight towards her. Wendy's face began to light up as she heard the familiar, yet cracking voice answer her: "Wendy? Is it really you?"

She put her small hand against the window, hoping to reassure her friend. "Of course it's me, dweeb. Who else could it be?" Dipper shook his massive, mask-covered head, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"

Wendy couldn't help but to stare at her transformed partner-in-crime. What could have happened to him? Wendy looked up to see her self-proclaimed hero face to face. It was awkward having him look down on her, when in the real world, she towered over the shorten teen. She watched in bewilderment as the teen put up his now-gigantic hand to meet hers on the other side of the window. She noticed that it was stained dark red; Wendy hoped to herself that the red substance wasn't what she thought it was. Had this game changed him into some sort of monster? Fighting her reservations, Wendy looked past the haunting mask locked on Dipper's face. Even through those glowing eyes, Wendy could see that it was _her_ Dipper, fighting to help her any way he could.

She looked back on the massive hand that met hers, ""WHOA!" she examined. "What the heck happened to you?"

Dipper took a step back, so that Wendy could see him completely. "Oh, you know…" he commented sarcastically "…been working out…" Wendy giggled at the teen's incredibly corny joke. She thought to herself, "Yep, same lame jokes; it's _definitely my_ Dipper." He explained, "Actually, I had help from a friend…"

Dipper stepped back towards Wendy trapped on the other side, with traces of worry found in his voice, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Wendy's heart sunk into the pit of her stomach. Despite everything that has happened, even having his birthday completely ruined, _she_ was his number one concern. At that moment, Wendy felt like bawling her eyes out, but she fought it. She had to maintain a brave front, so that she wouldn't worry the teenager any more than he already was. Wendy clicked her tongue at his concerns, "Don't worry, champ. I may not have your massive guns…" she said, flexing her right arm, "but this Corduroy girl can still hold her own." She forced herself to give Dipper a dimpled, adorable smile. He laughed at her actions, making Wendy feel an ounce of relief for taking a bit of pressure off the kid's shoulders.

He continued to analyze the mirror prison, "Let's see how we can get you outta here…" Wendy continued to smile at the little hero in front of her. If anyone could get her out of this, it would be Dipper. All of a sudden, a voice shouted out, making Dipper look away in shock, "You wussy!"

Wendy stopped in dead silence at the sound before her, forcing her to question her sanity. It was impossible! That was _her_ voice that she heard insult Dipper! How could that be? Wendy glanced to the edge of the room to see what Dipper was looking at. It was another Wendy, dressed in the exact same way, talking to him using her voice! It, too, was trapped inside of a mirror. Dipper began to head towards the clone.

Wendy began to desperately bang on the window glass with her palms, trying to regain the attention of the disillusioned boy, "Dipper, please wait! That's not me!"

Wendy continued to watch in horror as she watched the masked teen become surrounded by more and more doppelgangers spread throughout the mirrors in the room, each with blaring green eyes and evil smirks on their faces. Wendy continued to pound on her prison as she was forced to listen to the wicked clones tormenting Dipper:

"What a loser!"

"Is this how you treat the girl you supposedly love with all your heart?"

"You let this happen to me. Why didn't you warn me? Why did you let them take me away?! Don't I mean anything to you?!"

Wendy stopped in her tracks upon hearing the words of her clone, "Wait!" she thought to herself, _"…with all of his heart?" _The words Rumble spoke earlier about her being _precious _to Dipper came flowing back. Wendy had to push these thoughts out of her head. This wasn't the time to think about these things; she had to focus on the task at hand, otherwise, both she and Dipper would be trapped in here forever.

She watched as Dipper spun around in agony, trying to defend himself to the multiple gingers ganging up on him. "Wendy, wait!" he pleaded. "You-you don't understand…I didn't know this would happen! You are important to me! I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you! Please, you gotta believe me!"

Tears began to gather in Wendy's eyes once again. "Oh, man…" she moaned to herself. "He thinks it's me; he _really_ thinks it's me saying those horrible things to him…"

Wendy refused to sit still as these imposters continued to play with the mind of the boy that held her so dear to his heart. With a renewed strength, she resumed striking her end of the mirror, praying that her friend would hear her over the shouting voices within the room:

"Dipper! Don't listen to them! This isn't your fault! You did nothing wrong! Dipper! Listen to ME, please! They're lying to you, Dipper!"

Despite her throat becoming hoarse, she continued to try to outshout the other Wendys, who persisted in their assault on Dipper:

"Believe you?! HA! I can't believe that I was fooled into thinking you were a great guy! You were one of my boys, Dipper!" ("That's not true, Dipper! No matter what, _you will always be one of my guys_! I swear it!")

"I should have listened to my friends and left you in the dust a long time ago…" ("They're tricking you, Dipper! All my friends like you a lot! Remember, "Dr. Funtimes?!")

"And you wonder why I chose Robbie over you…" ("Wait, what?!")

Wendy's face dropped in shock as she watched the next scene unfold. Filled with rage, Dipper rushed towards the nearest doppelganger, threw back his hand and put his fist through it, breaking it into a thousand pieces. He leaped back and forth, screaming in an inhuman tone, destroying every mirror, desperate to silence the hateful voices forever.

For the first time ever, Dipper did something that Wendy never imagined that he would ever do; he _frightened_ her severely. She knew that he didn't mean it, but at the same time, that rage, that anger without any hesitation or pity or mercy towards these things that looked exactly like her gave her goosebumps from head to toe. Wendy stared at the eyes shining from the mask. They had changed from orange to a dark, blood red. The sight made Wendy ask herself, "What if it was that strange mask that turned Dipper violent?"

She glanced back at her friend, calming down from his violent rampage. Dipper sunk to his knees, and with head risen, unleashed a hurtful cry that shook the whole room at its core. Wendy could do nothing but watch the broken teen on the ground. She wished that she was able to throw her arms around him, and tell him that everything was going to be alright.

Fed up with the sight before her, Wendy decided to take reckless action. She couldn't take seeing Dipper like this any longer. Wendy stepped backwards from her window and took a deep breath, clearing her mind. She knew it was going to hurt, but what other choice did she have? Wendy immediately bolted towards the window, ramming her shoulder against the glass panel. She flew though the broken frame, landing painfully on her bare knees. Groaning and in pain, Wendy looked up at her surroundings, expecting to meet (and comfort) her friend. She was shocked to find anything but.

Wendy found herself now in a huge temple, marked from top to bottom with mysterious and cryptic messages and hieroglyphics. "What is this place?" she asked herself. She continued to walk deeper into the temple, quickly noticing the unique floor beneath her. It was a green oval shape decorated with the stuff nightmares were made of. Wendy looked at the drawings spread throughout: it was a depiction of a person standing in a circle of fire with dozens of incogitable creatures lying in wait underfoot.

Wendy stood in quiet awe of her current surroundings. She sighed to herself, "Now, what?" All of a sudden, a heated sensation came from beneath her foot bottoms. At first, Wendy enjoyed the warmth, especially since leaving the frozen world from behind the mirror. However, the thought of the graphic image flashed in Wendy's mind. "Oh, no!" she thought to herself, and quickly tried to run from the green flooring. However, it was too late! Wendy couldn't move from the spot! She glanced down that two red, skeletal hands had risen from an opening in the oval floor and clamped onto her ankles!

Wendy pumped her legs, desperate to break free of the death grip holding her in place. She screamed in absolute terror, trying anything to remove the hands holding her hostage, "LET GO! LET ME GO!" Still attempting to kick her feet free, Wendy looked around to come to a startling realization: the opening in the floor was _growing_. Within seconds, more hands began to rise from the pit, and shortly after, began to cling onto Wendy. She could do nothing but struggle in vain as she felt more arms wrap around her legs, her torso, and her arms. Wendy looked down, while still fighting to stay above ground, to see where all these things were coming from. Each and every hand belonged to an undead creature; the same type of horrid, deformed monsters shown in the hieroglyphics that frightened Wendy earlier.

Shortly enough, the combined weight of the creatures made it too hard for Wendy to struggle. With one last scream, Wendy was yanked into the blackened pit, joining the legions of the undead,

"AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Wendy awoke some time later, this time not awakened by a bright white light, but from a calm, blue one. She struggled to open her eyes. It felt as if every ounce of energy was completely drained from the hyper-active teenager. Wendy tried to move her arms and legs, but found that they couldn't maneuver very far. Still very weak, she tried to examine where those horrible freaks had dragged her off to. Wendy found herself cocooned into a see through crystal. She carefully strained her eyes to see if anything was lurking in the distance. Suddenly, a flash of light went off in the background, revealing an atrocious sight lying outside of her crystal prison. Thousands upon thousands of blank, ghastly faces hung in the background, each with their vision directed onto Wendy. Were these people victims of the monsters like her? Wendy, despite feeling incredibly tired, began to wiggle around, hoping to break free of her confinement. Suddenly, several voices came from the beyond in an attempt to tempt Wendy:

_Don't struggle. Stay with us!_

_We want you here! We need you here! We need your light!_

_They won't miss you! Your family, your friends!_

_Sleep! Dream with us, forever!"_

"Yesssss…." Wendy muttered, giving in to the hypnotic suggestions. She felt herself drift in and out of consciousness while continuing to listen to the gentle whisperings. However, one made her hair stand up on end:

"_Don't worry. Dipper will forget all about you! We'll take "good" care of him. In time, you'll forget about him, too!"_

"Dipper…"drooled the half-asleep teenaged girl. Suddenly, images of the brave, sweet teen flashed throughout Wendy's exhausted mind. How he must be going out of his mind trying to find her! Wendy knew that she had to break free now; otherwise she'll be trapped with these specters forever. She realized that she didn't have enough energy to punch or kick free, so she had to think of another way to free herself. All of a sudden, a sweet memory traveled through her mind from earlier that day: Dipper smiling from ear-to-ear as Wendy hummed a gentle birthday song to him. He turned back to her, and asked, ""Not much for singing, Wendy?" to which she replied, trying to avoid the topic of singing, "Don't-push-your-luck-kiddo!"

Wendy smiled upon recalling the memory. It wasn't that she had a terrible voice; it was the fact that she had trouble controlling her pitches during high notes. As demonstrated several times throughout her youth, Wendy's "skill" could be truly ear-shattering. The smile spread further across the captive girl's face as she realized her one and only chance to escape from the cocoon. Gathering all of her strength, Wendy took deep breaths in preparation of the task at hand. Pushing with everything she had, Wendy let loose with a killer high note:

HHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP!"

As Wendy maintained the note, she looked around the crystal to see that it began cracking all along the sides. Wendy kept up the pitch, despite her lungs aching for breath. "Only a moment more…" she thought to herself. At long last, the prison had broken straight through the middle, with Wendy stumbling out from beneath. She gasped for air, panting to regain her breath. With her strength recovered, Wendy stood shakily on her feet and began to search for a way out of this nightmare.

Suddenly, the background began to glow again, revealing the army of deadpan faces lurking in the darkness. Upon the sight, Wendy took off without a second of hesitation, desperately looking for an exit. The faces began to float away from the wall and pushed against the sprinting teen, as if they were trying to push her back, in a way that a salmon has the stream flowing against it. Their haunting whispers echoing through Wendy's mind:

"_NO! You cannot leave! You must stay! STAY WITH US, PLEASE!"_

Wendy continued to struggle against the wicked influence, and shortly thereafter, began to outrun the horrid current. She never stopped running, despite aching muscles and burning lungs. Minutes left like hours to the exhausted teen. A ray of hope shot through her mind as finally, she came across an exit.

Another mirror window appeared at the end of the darkened tunnel. Wendy looked through it to see the still-hulked-out Dipper kneeling with a wounded girl in his arms. Upon closer examination, Wendy gasped when the identity was revealed. It was her! Wendy stared in disbelief as her friend cried over a clone designed to look exactly like her.

"DIPPER!" screamed Wendy while banging on the mirror with both fists. "PLEASE, DIPPER, THAT'S NOT ME! LOOK UP, DIPPER ! CAN'T YOU HEAR ME?!

Wendy continued to watch as the girl in Dipper's arms turned to dust and seemingly blew away in a gust of wind. Wendy lowered her head in disbelief, banging her head gently against the mirror. "What is this place?" she asked herself. "Why does it _like_ torturing us like this?" She couldn't figure out why this awful abode kept making Dipper think that he had failed her, or why it forced her to watch the outcomes without any way to intervene.

All of a sudden, a bright light flashed in the room Dipper was in. Wendy watched in horror as the teen dropped to his knees, and then fully collapsed!

"DIPPER! ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?! ANSWER ME, PLEASE! LET ME KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALRIGHT!"

Wendy stopped yelling when she seen the boy beginning to move on the ground. A smile spread across her face when she seen that Dipper had returned to regular size. She glanced on the ground next to him to see that the creepy mask attached to his face had exploded into several pieces. "So, I was right," Wendy thought to herself, "It _was_ the mask that made him that way!"

The doorway across from Dipper began to glow bright white. Wendy recognized that signal; this meant it was a new portal to another game world. Dipper stood up, looked behind him, _straight at her_, and then continued towards the newly revealed exit.

"NNNNOOOOOO!" Wendy cried aloud, continuing to pound fiercely on the mirror. She tried ramming through the mirror again, but this particular one was made of sturdier stuff. Wendy's cries quickly became loud sobs as she watched Dipper unknowingly leave her behind in this accursed place. Her prayers, that somehow he would hear her pleas, fell upon deaf ears:

"DIPPER, WAIT! PLEASE COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS, PLEASE!"

Amongst her tears, Wendy began to hear the all-too-familiar moans and whispers from earlier before. The ghouls were catching up with her, desperate to reclaim her as one of their own. Wendy looked around, alone and trapped. How was she going to escape? All of a sudden, a raspy, yet wicked laugh began to echo throughout the hall. Wendy quickly realized that the haunting sound was coming from the room on the other side of the mirror. She peered back into the room and gasped in horror at the sight in front of her.

The pieces of Dipper's former mask began to flash repeatedly. Slowly, but surely, the fragments began to come together automatically until it became whole once again. Wendy looked on in shock as the mask floated several feet about the ground. Suddenly, the mask turned its attention to the girl on the other side of the mirror. Wendy observed the sight in amazement, only to be completely floored by its next action…

"HEY, GIRL! HOW'S IT HANGING?!"

Wendy fell into a stupor. Stammering, she asked, "D-D-Did you just talk…to me?"

"YEAH, YOU! I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER REDHEADED GINGERS HANGING AROUND HERE, DO YOU?!"

Wendy, scared out of her mind, shook her head respectfully.

The mask began to glow, letting out a massive groan. Wendy saw out of the corner of her eye that a new white portal had appeared right next to her.

"HERE, HURRY UP AND GET GOING! THAT KID IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Wendy started towards the portal, but stopped herself. She addressed the mask once again, "How do I know if I can trust you? Don't think I don't know about what you did to poor Dipper!"

The mask laughed loudly at Wendy's defiance. "TO BE FAIR, MISSY, I REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE KID. ALL I DID WAS REVEAL A COUPLE OF HIDDEN TRUTHS AS WELL AS SILENCED A FEW DOUBTS HERE AND THERE. NOW, THE REST OF THIS MESS, YOU CAN BLAME ON THE HOUSE HERE. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CRYING YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE EYES OUT WHILE THE KID WENT ON HIS WAY, THAT'S "ALL HOUSE" RIGHT THERE! IF IT DIDN'T WANT HIM TO HEAR YOU, HE WASN'T GOING TO HEAR YOU, PERIOD!"

Wendy thought about the mask's claims for a moment. It could be telling the truth, but then again, it could be a trick like _everything else_ in this world. Wendy could hear the ghouls coming closer and closer…

"You still haven't given me a reason to believe you…"

"ARRGHHH!" the relic cried out in annoyance. "LOOK, RED…PERSONALLY, I COULD CARE LESS IF YOUR FRIENDS BEHIND YOU TEAR YOU FROM LIMB TO LIMB. THE ONLY REASON YOU ARE GETTING 'ANY' HELP IS BECAUSE OF THAT KID…"

"Why do you care?!"

The mask floated silently as Wendy stared heatedly, waiting for a response. Finally, it answered, without sarcasm or malice in its voice:

"BECAUSE HE IS RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING; HE DOES DESERVE A CHANCE…NOW HURRY UP! YOU'RE NO GOOD TO HIM DEAD!"

Wendy thought about the mask's ramblings, and despite uncertainties, Wendy headed towards the new portal. As she was about to go through, the mask beckoned to her once more, "HEY, GIRLIE! ONE LAST THING…"

Wendy turned back towards her unlikely rescuer.

"DON'T LET THIS EXPERIENCE SCAR YOU FOR LIFE. JUST KEEP TELLING YOURSELF: IT'S ONLY A VIDEO GAME…"

The mask's final words followed Wendy through the white portal…

"…ONLY A VIDEO GAME…"

After experiencing another white flash of light, Wendy didn't find herself falling from nothingness. Instead, she found herself sitting comfortably. Startled, she surveyed her surroundings. The young teen was shocked to find that she was planted upon an eloquent throne, complete with golden and jeweled trimmings. Wendy glanced down at her current outfit. She draped in a lavish white gown laced with blue trimmings, and dark blue boots. She reached on top of her crown of red hair to find that a golden crown was placed there. Wendy took a moment to sigh, lean back, and relax. She thought to herself, "Like I said before, I'm not a fan of this "hoyde-toyde" Princess stuff, but at the same time, it sure does beat being chased around half-naked in the freezing cold by a bunch of ghosts!"

All of a sudden, several armed guards approached the rejuvenated teenager, making her nerves jump once again. "Oh, man!" she thought. "They know I'm not supposed to be here…" Wendy quickly sat up and began to apologize, "Look, guys, I'm sorry about this, but-"

The first guard interrupted, "Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but reports have been coming in from all over the village. Squadrons of demons are on their way to the castle. They have been spreading fire and brimstone as they travel onwards…"

Wendy frowned upon hearing this news. It was odd enough that these people recognized her as _their _Princess, but wasn't there a world out there that didn't have monsters wanting to kill her?

The nervous soldier broke Wendy's concentration, "Your majesty, what are your orders?" Wendy stammered, trying to come up with a battle plan for a place that she had never seen before, versus creatures she hadn't encountered before. "Ummm…."

Another guard burst into the room, "It's too late! They're already here!"

Suddenly, echoes of shattering glass and evil laughter spread throughout the hall. These sounds were quickly followed by the anguished screams of the fallen. Wendy watched as the soldiers gathered at the end of the hall, attempting to close the giant, wooden doors that allowed entryway into the room. Despite all of the manpower holding them back, Wendy surveyed in shock as the door exploded open! A group of dark red gargoyles burst into the room, seemingly throwing fireballs at the helpless guards.

The soldier at Wendy's side raised his sword to the sky, and shouted, "Men! To me! We must protect our Princess!" Wendy looked around to see that no other guard had joined their comrade in battle! They cowered in the corner behind her throne in fear of the terrible beasts that invaded the room. Wendy sighed and rolled her eyes at the pathetic sight. She thought to herself, "Sometimes, I forget that not all guys are _actually men_…" with images of her dad, Dipper, and (to a lesser extent) Robbie flashing through her mind.

Agitated, Wendy hopped up and ran to one of the yellow-bellied guards in the corner. She reached out and stole a sword and shield from him with a rough yank, "Gimme those!" Now armed, the rambunctious redhead ran back to the loyal guard. She turned to the soldier and ordered, "Follow my lead!"

Wendy slowly approached the closest of the gargoyles. It dove, with talons raised, screeching at the young girl. Wendy quickly raised her shield, deflecting the horrid beast. With the creature stunned, she raised her sword and sliced through it. The monster shrieked as it burst into flames, quickly evaporating into the atmosphere. Wendy spun to see that the guard next to her was struggling with his opponent. He held his shield up as the creature repeatedly thrashed against it. Every time he would swing his blade, the monster would easily dodge, and then, resume its attack.

Wendy snuck up behind the flying beast and poked it with her weapon, making the creature detonate into a fireball. She glanced at the guard, "You gotta be faster than that! Otherwise, they're going to push you back!" The guard, slightly embarrassed, nodded respectfully, and followed the girl further down the hall.

A third gargoyle flew in front of Wendy, and shortly put its hands together. She watched as its' hands began to glow a bright red and orange. Quickly revealing what was coming next, Wendy ducked down, hiding behind her shield. She pushed all her weight behind her protection as she felt the flame attack hit with a loud *TWAK*. After peeking out to make sure it was safe, Wendy stood up and threw her sword at the flying monster, impaling it against the wall.

Wendy heard a loud groan coming from her right. She glanced to see that the only loyal soldier that fought at her side had lost his battle with the gargoyles. Wendy felt a sense of sadness as the guard fell to the floor in a slump. She questioned her feelings, wondering if it was nonsense to mourn a person whom wasn't a real person in the first place. Quickly, she reached down to take his sword, when a new squadron of gargoyles swarmed her. Two of the creatures flew to each arm, lifting the young girl off her feet. "Hey!" Wendy cried out, inadvertently dropping her weapons. With great force, the beasts flew across the hall with the teenager in their arms. Roughly, they threw the teen against her throne. Wendy went to stand up, only to be forced back down. She could feel several tiny clawed hands restraining her arms behind the throne, leaving her defenseless.

Wendy continued to struggle, trying to get back to her feet. Suddenly, she noticed huge glowing eyes staring at her. She turned to see that a gigantic gargoyle, at least 3 times the size of the ones she had slain. With fire in her eyes, she turned to face the demon, "Do your worse, ugl—"

Wendy's words trailed off as she became lost in the creature's eyes. For some reason, she could not escape the evil stare. It was inviting, somewhat peaceful. The last thing Wendy remembered before fading to unconsciousness was that oddly enough, she could have sworn that she was floating above her own body…

The next thing Wendy could remember, she was lying in front of a gigantic throne! She stood up woozily, grabbing her aching head. She felt _off_. It wasn't that she awoke from slumbering, but it was as if _her essence was separated, but then shortly reformulated_. Wendy continued to get a hold of herself, when she stood in awe, with mouth gaping open in shock, at the horrendous scene towering before her.

A appalling horned, red demon, similar to that of the gargoyles she had fought at the castle earlier, sat in the enormous throne. It wore ceremonial body armor across its arms and legs. Perhaps the most gruesome sight was the fact that the demon had _another face_ inside of its torso. The top face roared at the sight at the quivering ginger in front of him, while the bottom face wore a terrifying fanged smile. To Wendy's dismay, it began to speak to her in an echoing, haunting tone:

"Welcome, my lovely, to the Demon Realm!"

Wendy, still trapped in its stare, answered back, "Why am I here? What do you…err…_you two_ want from me?"

Both heads laughed, amused by Wendy's sincere inquiry, "You, dearest Princess," it bellowed. "…are the key to our ultimate victory! A member of the royal bloodline must be sacrificed in order to join the worlds of the living and the dead together, in a new realm where I rule supreme!"

Wendy crossed her arms and gave the beast a raised eyebrow, "So, let me guess; I'm _said_ sacrifice? What's next? Strapping me down to an altar while a blade hangs overhead? "She pointed at the monster, "That's the problem with you game villains: too many clichés!"

The demon king drew its heads back, its roaring laughter flowing throughout the massive room. Truly, the king of the monsters was _amused_ by the arrogance of the young damsel standing before him. He answered her, "Dearest, it has _already begun_…"

"WHAT?!" Wendy shot back, her eyes widening at the exclamation.

"It's true! Surely, you must feel it. Isn't it like something's missing?" Wendy nodded at the monster's claim. It continued, "All I needed to merge the worlds was your soul. My minions removed it from your vessel of flesh. As you continue your stay in my realm, your essence will dissipate more and more, until finally, you are nothing but a memory…"

Wendy jumped back at the claim, "NO!" she screamed. "You're lying!" The smiled beast merely muttered, "Am I?"

Shaken, Wendy spun on her heels and ran as fast as her legs could carry. She found herself at a huge, sealed gate that protected this room from the outside world. As Wendy reached to attempt to open the barrier, she gasped in horror at the sight before her emerald eyes. Her hands had _gone through the door itself! _Wendy looked at her arms. Her pale, freckled complexion was now a sickly grey one, as if she was a ghost!

She turned back to her captor, still sitting comfortably on its throne, continuing to laugh at the girl's futile attempts. "Go on!" it yelled to the panicked Wendy. "Run away! Run all you like, my dear! Just remember, _there is no escape! There is no rescue coming!" _

Taking a deep breath, Wendy looked at the object ahead of her, and without thinking twice, walked through the wooden barrier. She stopped on the other side, amazed at the feat she was just able to perform. Wendy shook her head repeatedly, trying to shake the words that the demon king had cursed her with. "It can't be true!" she tried convincing herself. "There's gotta be a way out! There just has to!"

Wendy surveyed the room before her. She had walked into seemed to be a darken wasteland with moss and barnacles covering every aspect. Wendy had to cover her mouth due to the soul smell that blanketed the area. The region reeked of decay! Wendy spied ahead to see that there was a path in front of her, complete with a trail of lava flowing side-by-side. Was this a path to the surface? As Wendy started up the road, she heard a sound that made her stop in her tracks:

"HELP ME!"

Wendy turned around, thinking that she was hearing things. Was it yet another trick that the monsters of the gaming world were playing on her? She turned back towards the lava-joined path, when she heard the plead once more:

"HELP ME!" PLEASE!"

Wendy looked to see that the noise was coming from her right, deep into one of the corners of the decaying room. Wendy slowly approached the noise, attempting to stay on her toes, ready for any surprises. Continuing towards the back of the room, Wendy noticed that instead of being surrounded by half-dead plant life, this section was filled with acres upon acres of spider webs. Wendy shuddered at the mere sight. She HATED any or all spiders with all of her heart. Despite this, Wendy resumed journeying towards the sound asking for her assistance. A few steps later, Wendy stopped in amazement to see what the source of the noise was.

There was a little pink glowing ball shaking back and forth against a spider webbed wall. It took Wendy a second to realize that the thing was trapped inside of a web! She peered a bit closer. The glowing ball was actually a tiny fairy, struggling in vain against its webbed prison. Wendy watched to see that the pixie's eyes were locked in horror on a sight below it. She silently watched as a pack of sharp-toothed spiders slowly made their way towards their trapped prey.

"ANYONE! PLEASE HELP ME!"

Wendy began to head towards helping the creature, but stopped herself. She thought to herself, "I know this seems terrible, but it_ isn't real! It's just part of the game_!" Then, Wendy remembered the brief moment of sorrow for the fallen soldier back at the castle; the only one that would stand to defend her. She also recalled the demon king's remarks that she, herself, was no longer a part of reality. Wendy slowly raised her head, coming to a realization: "If I was ensnared like that, I hope that someone would think _that I was worth saving_!"

Wendy leapt onto the rows of spider webs, punching and crushing spiders beneath her blue boots. In a mixture of fear and anger, Wendy fought against all of the approaching arachnids until there were none left to be seen. The fairy looked up with a smile across its face at its rescuer, "Thank…you…" it said breathlessly. Wendy nodded and returned the smile, "Hello, there! "she replied in her sweetest tone. She bent down to address the creature, "Now, how did you get yourself into this mess?"

The fairy began to explain, still struggling in the goop that held it hostage. "I was attempting to find the brave knight fighting for this world's sake, before it was too late." Wendy gave the pixie a confused look, "Too late for what?" The sprite continued, "The hero must find several hidden relic spread through the land in order to challenge the demon king. If he fails, he is forced to relive his quest until he gets it right. However, the monsters attempted to cheat the fates. They hid one of the treasures away, at least, until I found it."

Wendy looked at see that, at the fairy's side, laid a golden bracelet, complete with red and green jewels. Her eyes shined in amazement of the jewelry piece set before her. "Heh," she thought to herself. "It's my favorite colors!"

The fairy proceeded, "Luckily, I was able to steal back the bracelet before it was too late, except that those spiders cornered me, and sooner or later, I got stuck in the web…" The sprite lowered its eyes in embarrassment. Wendy gave back an encouraging smile, thinking back on the several dangers that she had walked into within the last few hours, "Hey, it's okay…" she reassured the child-looking creature. "it happens to the best of us; now let's get you out of there…"

Wendy reached towards the winged creature, praying that unlike the door from earlier, that she would be able to hold her. Very gently, Wendy began to pull the pieces of web from the captive. Within a minute or so, Wendy held the freed, but exhausted pixie, still clutching the oversized bracelet, in the palms of her hands. "Wow!" she thought to herself. "I can feel its little heartbeat going a mile a minute!"

Wendy turned to leave, when she discovered that she couldn't move from the spot. "Huh?!" she asked herself. She glanced down to see that she was buried ankle-deep in spider webs. To her horror, she had seen dozens and dozens of spiders fleeing from the two tightly-round mounts that encased her legs. The spiders had formed a tight web over Wendy's feet! Using all her strength, Wendy tried to lift her boots out of the sticky mess, but she was too snuggly packed in. It was as if she had gotten both feet stuck in bubble gum; every time she would lift a foot, it was immediately yanked back into place. What made matters worse was that she was unable to use her hands to free herself; otherwise, she would have dropped the newly-freed fairy back into the same prison that she was now locked into.

"Man, not now!" Wendy sighed to herself, still struggling to free her boots. She looked back on the last few perils that she had encountered, and thought to herself, "I REALLY have to start watching where I walk into…" While trying to pump her imprisoned peds free, an irking popped into her head, "If they wanted me trapped like this, why did all the spiders run away like that?" Seconds later, Wendy stopped wiggling as she seen a trail of slime flow right in front of her face. She and the fairy looked up to see a colossal spider dangling from the ceiling, eyeing its future dinner. Both shrieked at the horrid sight above them.

"EEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!"

Wendy, still yanking in vain on her stuck feet, asked the magical creature in her hands, "By chance, do you know a spell or something that can get us out of this?" The pixie frowned, "Sorry, I' m not that kind of sprite…" It looked towards the jewelry it held tightly in its arms. "Wait!" the fairy beckoned to Wendy. "Use the bracelet!" Wendy looked back with a raised eyebrow. "Trust me, please!" the pixie pleaded, lifting the bracelet so that she could slide her hand though "Put it on!"

Wendy looked back on the hungry monster lowering in on her. What choice did she have? Still holding the fairy in one hand, Wendy slipped the bracelet on her tiny wrist. All of a sudden, she felt a surge of power flowing throughout her body. Wendy glanced down at her hand to see that it was surrounded by a small green flame! Wendy raised her eyes back to the monstrous spider, inching closer and closer to the entangled teenager and her tiny friend.

The sprite ordered Wendy, "Use the hope left in your heart to power it!" Wendy closed her eyes, and thought about finally being able to go home…with Dipper in hand, and perhaps, being able to savage this wrecked day of his. With renew vigor, the teen raised her glowing hand to the monster and watched as a green fireball rocketed towards the beast. Wendy's eyes widen as she watched the monster explode into a thousand slimy pieces.

Wendy and the pixie were both drenched in goo! "Yuck!" she cried in disgust, wiping spider entrails off her body. She glanced down and smiled at her little friend, whom looked up and returned the sign. "Hang on!" Wendy told the creature, as she pointed her flaming hand towards her confined ankles. Carefully, she cut the mounds of hardened spider webs off her boots. Upon this, Wendy sprinted off the webbed area in hopes of avoiding being recaptured.

As Wendy continued to walk back to her previous destination, in hopes of an escape, the sprite asked her a simple question,

"Are you a real Princess?"

Wendy forced a smile at the cute creature, "Ummm….not exactly, but for some reason, a lot of people here think that I am…"

"Is that a bad thing?"

Wendy rolled her eyes and thought for a moment before answering. "It's not that…" she started to explain. "In my eyes, Princesses are these "hoity-toity" fragile, little things that can't do anything for themselves. They have to wait for someone else to do it for them. "

"That's not exactly true…"

Wendy looked perplexed at the comment, "C'mon! Princesses are always waiting for some hero to swoop in and save them…" She looked down at her feet, "I don't want nor need anyone to save _me_! It totally goes against my nature! Besides, no one has ever called me "Princess;" not even my dad…"

Wendy glanced down to see that the pixie was still gleaming up at her with huge, watery eyes. A shade of guilt began to fall over her mind. "Look, I'm sorry if I sound mean, but…"

"It's not that…I think you hide what you really think" the creature implored. "To be honest, I don't believe that you hate the "idea," but it's never happened to you personally. I could easily tell when you rushed in and saved me. I'll bet that you don't have a hero because you're _always had to be your own hero_, and take care of yourself."

Wendy blushed at the creature's assumption.

"…And if I can say so, I still think you could be a great Princess! They have to know how to lead and take charge when they have to, like how you do!"

Wendy smiled at the implication. Who would have thought that such a childish topic could empower her like that?

The sprite knew by looking at the tall teen that its words were sinking in. "Don't worry; I'm sure there's someone out there that wishes for a Princess just like you!"

She continued to smirk at the highly-optimistic fairy. "Whatever you say, kiddo. Whatever you say…"

Wendy looked up to see a bolt of lightning flash through the sky and come crashing down on the center of the chamber. "What was that? How could it be storming inside?" she questioned, quickly running to the source. She stopped in her tracks. A small knight, draped with golden armor raised his hand to the sky. For some reason, there were countless tiny flames freefalling to the ground around him.

All of a sudden, on the other corner of the room, stemming from the sealed gate that Wendy escaped from earlier, a new image formed. It was a young woman, angelic in appearance, standing out through a misty background. Wendy listen to the knight speak, when suddenly, she easily recognized the squeaky, breaking voice.

"Dipper!" she exclaimed. She ran to the armored teen. "Man, am I glad to see you!" Dipper did not even recognize her existence at all, still conversing with the angelic presence. "Dipper?" she questioned disheartened. She knelt down in front of the boy and went to place her hand on his shoulder. She gasped as before with the gate, Wendy's hand literally went through the boy's shoulder blade. Wendy pulled back in horror, when the fairy in her hand rose up, and flew around her, explaining the situation:

"He can't hear you because we are in the world of the dead. To him, you are a ghost, at least for the moment!"

Wendy, still kneeling, looked down on the ground in hopelessness. In innocence, the sprite asked her, "Is this him?" Wendy raised her head, "Him who?" The pixie smiled at her, "_Your hero_, silly! Is this him?" After a minute to think about it, she turned towards the flying creature, displaying a weak smile, "Well, he's as close to one as I'll ever get…"

In pure curiosity, the fairy flew in circles around Dipper, analyzing the boy from every aspect. "Ohhh! He's cute!" it commented. The pixie flew back to Wendy's face. "Is he a great guy, or just a spaz?!"

Wendy felt incredibly odd talking "girl-talk" with a total thing of fiction, but yet, felt awkwardly compelled to do so, "Dipper? Yeah, he's the best! I mean, he's kinda short, but he's smart, adorable, selfless, brave…" Once again, Wendy felt butterflies in her stomach as she continued to describe Dipper, but yet, the image of Robbie hung guiltily at the back of her mind as well.

Defeated, Wendy looked up at the fairy, "This may sound stupid, but can I tell you a secret?" The creature happily bobbed its head at the suggestion.

Wendy continued, "I feel, really, really bad because it's kind of my fault that we're in this situation right now. Dipper is a great kid who despite all of the great things he does for me, and pretty much everyone else, he always seems to get screwed over by the world. Sometimes, even_ I_ do it to him. I don't mean to, but at times, I get caught up in "stupid teenage things," and before you know it, things are already said and done. But, he's so sweet that he doesn't even call me out on it, ever!"

The pixie looked on sadly as Wendy narrated further.

"All I wanted was one perfect day for him. One day that it could be just him and me. One day without him needing to do all of the incredible things he usually does on a daily basis. Things I wish that I could even dream of doing, if I had the guts. He deserved that, at least! He deserves better! He deserves better than…"

Wendy stopped for a second, tears in her eyes as the pixie hung on every word.

"…better than me…" she sighed. She turned back to Dipper standing there. He was so close to Wendy, and yet, so far away. She reached her hand towards his armored cheek, as if to caress it, only to have it fall through his figure. She heaved from deep in her chest. "All I wanted was to make it up to him; to show him that _I do care_, but because of me, he's probably going to get himself killed!"

Wendy felt gentle warmth next to her freckled, dimpled cheek. Her fairy friend, still smiling, wiped away her tears with its tiny hand. It whispered in Wendy's ear. "Isn't that _his _choice to make? After all, someone doesn't brave a world filled with ghosts, ghouls, and goblins just for someone _they could care less about…"_

Wendy's tears shortly dried up, despite a few sniffles. After all this was over, she and Dipper had to sit down and have a long talk…

Suddenly, Dipper turned tail and began to run in the other direction. Startled, Wendy jumped to her feet. She asked her companion, "What's happening?" The fairy turned around, its face in shock, "Oh, no!" it shrieked. "It's trying to send him back to the beginning!" Wendy watched helplessly as a blue light hovered through her, heading to send Dipper to his infinite repeating doom.

Determined, Wendy asked, "What can I do to stop it from hurting Dipper?" The fairy replied, "He needs to have the Princess's Bracelet to face the Demon King!" Wendy slipped off the relic that previously saved her life. She continued to question, "How can I give it to him? I can't even touch him, yet alone give him stuff!"

The sprite smiled, "But I can! As a magical being, I can transverse the two realms without effort!" Wendy literally tossed the bracelet at the being that was twenty times its size. "Then, please help him!" As the being was about to teleport, Wendy attempted to stop it. "Wait a sec!" Wendy hesitated. "Can you tell Dipper that I miss…I mean that I…well…" The pixie smiled at its comrade, "Don't worry!" it said with a wink. "I'll know what to say!"

Wendy stood back and watched as at the last moment, her sprite friend appeared by Dipper's side, handling him Wendy's bracelet. She sighed in relief as she watched the menacing blue light vanish before her eyes. Stuck between the dimensions, Wendy could barely make out the exact conversation between the sprite and Dipper. Wendy was at least able to make out the phrase, "She misses you…" and watched Dipper lean over and rub his arm nervously. Even though those golden plates, she could picture his cheeks turning bright red in embarrassment. She'd also seen Dipper don the golden bracelet and head towards the huge gate.

Suddenly, the pixie poofed back in front of Wendy's face, making her jump back in reflex. "Sorry!" it apologized. Wendy grilled the flying creature, "What happened? Is he okay? What did he say?!"

The fairy smiled, and sweetly explained. "He's just fine. All he did was ask about you; if you're okay, where you are, etc…" Hearing this news gave Wendy rosy cheeks once more. She added, "Thank you again for saving him." The sprite nodded, "No worries; I owed you one anyways…"

"So, now what?"

"We wait. If the knight is successful, you'll return to your body, and hopefully, you two will make it home."

All of a sudden, Wendy's grey toned body began to glow brighter and brighter. The fairy's smile deeper upon seeing this sight, "And there we go…" Wendy could feel her essence drifting away, as if she was lost in a daydream. Before she lost consciousness again, Wendy waved at her little friend one last time. "Thanks again! For everything!"

Wendy awoke, back in her body that was resting in the throne room. However, the sight in front of her sent a shockwave through her spine.

"What's up, babe?"

Wendy rubbed her eyes and looked up once more. Standing in front of her was Robbie, dressed in a dark green knight outfit.

"Robbie!" she exclaimed, jumping off the seat and giving him a huge hug. She pulled back and started asking questions:

"What are you doing here? How did you get here? How did you know where to find me? How-"

Robbie interrupted, "Relax, babe. I've been stuck here for about a few days. I was playing some fighting game when a huge karate guy dragged me into the machine. I've been hopping from game to game trying to find a way out. You know, no biggie…"

Wendy looked at her current beau in disbelief. "The same thing happened to me and Dippe- hey, wait, Dipper!" Wendy almost forgot about him! She started to explain to Robbie, "Hey, we gotta find Dipper! He's been risking his life trying to find me. We have to help him!"

Robbie groaned, "Don't worry about him! He's waiting for us through there!" Wendy turned to see that Robbie was pointing towards another white portal. He grabbed Wendy by the hand and began to lead her towards the next world. "C'mon, babe!" he urged. "We have to hurry and get out of here!" Wendy hesitated for a second, and then obediently followed her boyfriend into the portal.

After another white light flashing through her eyes, Wendy cleared her vision to see that she was standing in front of a dimmed garage in what seemed like a mid-section of a ghetto. The streets were filthy. The surrounding buildings were full of graffiti and thrashed harshly. Still being dragged by a relentless Robbie, Wendy took a quick glance at her current outfit. Her red hair was permed for some odd reason. She was placed into a bright red get-up and short skirt, accessorized with an awesome mini leather jacket, with tacky '80s style jewelry and studded belt wrapped around her. The solid black pumps strapped on her feet made it hard to keep up with Robbie running ahead of her.

She looked up at the former gothic teen to see that he, too, had changed as well. He now donned a red vest, with chest fully exposed as well as tight red leather pants. Robbie was also wearing a pair of knee-high dark brown boots. Wendy was jealous, actually wishing she could switch shoes and leave the gawky teen stumbling about in heels!

Wendy looked up to see that Robbie had taken her to a large gathering of people. They were various in sizes, shape, and sex, ranging from punk rockers with rifles, ladies with mohawks brandishing whips, and even a giant muscular green man with glowing white eyes.

"Wait a sec…" Wendy thought to herself. "That green guy looks awfully familiar…" Wendy took a couple steps ahead of Robbie to glance over the gallery in front of her. Despite their odd appearances, Wendy didn't really judge. After all, they did look like people that Robbie would generally hang out with.

"What up!" Wendy greeted the motley crew with a small wave. Not one responded, simply continuing to stare daggers at the teenage girl. "So, Robbie…" Wendy asked. "Are they like your friends or partners or what?"

From behind her, Robbie started to explain. "Yeah, babe, there's one thing I didn't get a chance to explain…"

"Oh, yeah?" Wendy asked with a raised eyebrow, turning around to meet her beau. "What's that?"

"THIS!"

Within a split second, Robbie launched a hard, cheap shot into Wendy's bread basket. Taken totally off-guard, Wendy dropped to her knees, struggling to catch her breath, shocked from disbelief at what had just happened.

"Did Robbie just HIT me?" flashed throughout her mind. Wendy was in so much pain, that she was actually beginning to lose consciousness. She looked up, with pleading eyes at Robbie, who wrote an evil grin on his face.

"WHY?!" she coughed out.

"Sorry, babe, but the plan has changed! Like it or not, you're coming with us."

Wendy looked around as the rest of the group began to close in on her.

The last thing Wendy remembered before the world faded to black was the feeling of Robbie picking her up and placing her body over his shoulder. She felt him carry her down the abandoned alleyway. He ordered to the rest of the group, "Let's go!" As she closed her eyes before passing out from the massive amount of pain, she was able to whisper out, "Dipper…"


	6. Chapter 6

_"Then you can be the remedy,  
and I can be the enemy,  
and he can go and live as nothing.  
Then you can be the wannabe,  
and I can be the remedy,  
and he can go to hell for all I care"_

"The Remedy," by Abandoned Pools

**Chapter 6 - The Better Man**

Dipper Pines came running (_ironically, not falling as in previous travels_) through the white portal before him. As he went through, his speed began to pick up, as if his body felt lighter. Dipper fought the burning sensation in his chest, huffing along the unknown path. One clear message continuously flashed throughout his mind:

_"Something's not right...I have to hurry!"_

He reflected on the last few moments. After braving through the Demon Realm and slaying their monstrous leader, the only thing Dipper wished to see was _his_ Wendy, up and about and ready to go home _with him in hand_. He wasn't expecting anything too optimistic; it wasn't like he was imagining to smothered with endless kisses and countless hugs upon Wendy's first sight of him (despite his deepest hopes), but at least, he wished to see her smiling and waving at him in lieu of the lifeless shell that sat empty earlier. After all, isn't that what the fairy that gave him the missing bracelet promised him?

What truly worried Dipper about the situation at hand was the description given to him by the kindly sage keeping watch over the ill-stricken redhead. Unlike the previous attempts to save his secret love, Dipper was sure; had confirmation that this was definitely _his_ Wendy; not a clone or doppelganger or a monster in disguise. And strangely enough, Wendy had willingly left a safe haven with an unknown person (or thing). "Who would Wendy actually trust enough to follow into this new world?" he thought distraughtly to himself. "A better question would be where I am now?"

His question was promptly answered with a loud "THWACK" to the face, knocking the teenager to the ground painfully.

Dipper, shocked and hurt, looked up from the ground. "Where the heck did that come from?"

As he stood up, he took a second (the hit surprisingly calming him down a bit) and analyzed not only the current surroundings, but himself as well. His stunning golden armor had vanished making it a lot easier to move around. Ironically enough, he was wearing his trademark blue vest. However, Dipper was shocked to notice that he only a thin, see though tee covered his bare chest beneath. His embarrassment quickly vanished when he realized that his physical body has changed as well! Dipper glanced down at his torso to see that he had _abs muscles now_! He smirked and flexed his chest, "Wow! I actually have a six-pack!" Dipper had also noticed that his arms were no longer "noodled," but contained a bit of muscle-tone; he wasn't as "hulked out" as when he donned the mask in the _Slaughterhouse_ world, but it still looked pretty decent. His outfit was complete with a pair of blue jeans and dark knee-high boots. He smiled, thinking to himself, "Nice! Very retro!" However, seeing the brown boots made him think of his missing love and her favorite choice in footwear.

Dipper looked around to see what crazy game world he walked into it. At the first glance, he discovered that he was in some form of hidden temple. Oriental designs and statues decorated the area from top to bottom. Dipper noticed that a recurring symbol seemed to be shown all through the walls. It was that of two huge golden dragons, each encircling each other until they became one.

Continuing onward, following the lavish red carpeting that seemed to stretch out forever. However, he was extremely cautious. What could have given him such a cheap shot without him actually seeing anything? On his right hand side, a stone-bricked wall seemed to stand out from the rest of the ritzy backdrops. The carpeted road began to trail narrowly, forcing the teen to walk very close to the stand out oddity.

Suddenly, as Dipper took a step forward, a brick in the wall had _actually shot out_ at him! "WHOA!" he leapt back to dodge the obstacle. As if clockwork, more blocks began to launch themselves at the teenaged hero, forcing him to dodge and duck repeatedly, nervously grunting and moaning at every jab. "What the heck is this?" he thought to himself. "I've walked into walls before, but this is crazy!" After hopping back and forth between the impediments, Dipper sighed in relief as he finally made it to the other side of the road.

Once again, the path began to change from its previous design. This new section was actually a platform with opened edges. Carefully peering over, Dipper gulped as he viewed rows around rows of sharp, deadly spikes surrounding the small arena. A loud noise echoed through the room. Dipper looked across at the top of the room to see that 2 doors had opened. From out of the doors stepped two menacing looking men brandishing weapons. Dipper took a step back as the wannabe bikers swung their arms at the teen. Dipper ducked as swinging nunchakus came from his left. He jumped to avoid the wavering bo staff aimed at his legs.

"Oh, man!" he panicked. "Having a little bit of muscle helps, but how can I beat these guys totally unarmed?" After a second swing of the nunchaku, Dipper gasped, and sidestepped the attack. He watched in awe that instead of launching another attack, his assailants, in an almost mechanical fashion, stopped and changed direction before moving towards the teen once again.

"Huh?" Dipper questioned. Feeling curious, he quickly strafed around his opponents twice more, so that he faced their backs. Again, similar to that of a robot, they shifted course, spun slowly and readjusted their course. The answer suddenly hit Dipper like lightning.

"Of course!" exclaimed Dipper. _"They're part of the game, so they're bound by its physics as well!"_ While forcing the villains to spin around, he had seen that they were allowed only to move in four ways: up, down, left, right. Dipper, being of the real world, could move in true 3D in eight directions.

Ready to test his theory, Dipper approached the biker carrying the wooden staff. As the enemy swung its weapon, Dipper stepped diagonally to avoid his blow. He watched in amazement as the foe struggled to reach the small hero, swinging blindly to its west and south, but somehow, ignoring the in-between.

"YES! It works! Dipper celebrated. "Go, retro '80s A.I.!" With that, Dipper stepped in after a third swing of the staff, and clocked the man in the face. The enemy recoiled, dropping its weapon. Quickly, Dipper reached down and grabbed the bo staff. As the biker slowly approached the boy, Dipper hopped to the side and used the staff to trip up his opponent. Dipper then launched the staff straight into the abdomen of his fallen foe, making him cry out in pain, "UUUGGGGHHHHH!" He watched in shock as the adversary began to flash, then suddenly, the being _pixelated itself_ out of existence!

Dipper, now armed, approached the second henchman still brandishing the flailing nunchaku. Dipper held the wooden staff in front of him as a form of defense. The biker wrapped his nunchaku chain around Dipper's bo in an attempt to pry it from the boy's hands. Determined, Dipper clutched the staff and began to yank it back and forth in an epic tug of war. An idea popped into his mind, making him smile deviously. All of a sudden, he let go of the lengthy weapon, having the foe crack himself in the face. Dipper redeemed his weapon and knocked the baddie down, making him vanish in a wave of pixel.

"Whew!" Dipper huffed to himself, using the staff to support himself. For some reason, a wave of nostalgia filled his mind, for not too long ago, he had seen this exact same scenario play out, but he hasn't able to put his finger on it just yet…

Dipper continued towards the carpeted road when he noticed that the decorative wall shortly began to change to that of one made completely of grey stone. He walked by the odd surrounding, hoping to himself that it wouldn't try to punch him in the face. Abruptly, an incredible rumbling began to shake Dipper to the bone. He looked around at his surroundings in a panic, "Where is THAT coming from?" He looked behind him as the noise began to grow louder and louder. Dipper gasped in horror, jumping back as he watched in shock as _two huge green hands_ shot out from the wall! With another resonating roar, the hands thorn through the solid stone, revealing a towering, yet bulking green giant. Dipper froze as the being slowly turned his attention to him. The creature's eyes, total black with small green pupils, stared deep into the young teen's psyche.

The image flashed throughout Dipper's mind. He now knew where the feeling of familiarity stemmed from. This was the _same green monster_ that both Wendy and he failed to conquer earlier that day at the arcade. A rush of guilt overwhelmed Dipper as he realized he was in the same game that he was distracted with as Wendy was pleading for his help, shortly after being lured away to the Fight Fighters machine.

Shaking his head clear, Dipper refocused on the matter at hand as the muscular warrior made his way towards the guilt-ridden teenager. Gathering his confidence, Dipper began to use the same tactic as before, taking advantage of his real-world-based-origins. He swung the bo staff at the creature with all of his strength – only to watch in astonishment as it shattered into splinters over the green warrior's body. The creature snorted under his breath, and began to turn its attention back towards Dipper.

Taking a huge gulp, Dipper rushed towards the lumbering beast, thinking to himself, "It's now or never!" He attempted to launch two jabs to the creature's chest, causing his fists to flow with enormous pain. Still determined, Dipper tried to give a gut punch, only to have his hand grabbed in countered retaliation. Without any effort, Dipper was lifted into the air by his arm. Dipper, staring the creature face to face, smiled sheepishly at the monster. Disgusted, he launched the small boy over his head and through the air.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Dipper in fright, flailing arms and legs wildly. He landed hard, sliding across the carpeted floor, gaining a huge amount of carpet burn, and barely missing the pitfall filled with razor sharp spikes. Gasping for air, Dipper quickly pulled himself up, and looked back at the menace. The green-skinned monster was inching ever closer to the fallen boy. "This isn't working…" he pondered to himself. "I'm going to have to outthink this thing to win!" He looked back at the way he came, and a sly smile spread throughout his face.

He began to run back towards the entrance of the temple, running and leaping as swiftly as he could away from his massive opponent. He turned around and looked back on his approaching opponent, crossing his fingers that his tactic would work. The giant muscle bounded creature stumbled towards the boy…only to walk right into a moving brick. As the creature struggled after the devastating blow, another block came launching out of the wall to knock it back off its feet. Dipper watched, arms crossed, with a smirk on his face, as his plan came to fruition. "I knew it…" he bragged to himself. "That guy is way too slow to dodge all those moving bricks, and way too stupid to know when to call it quits. He only had to watch as the warrior kept getting pounded until it fell straight on its back with an ear-shattering groan, hastily flashing and pixelating away.

Dipper darted back across the trap, hoping that he wouldn't fall prey to his own devious devices. As he approached the spot to where the green combatant appeared, Dipper began slightly distraught. There wasn't another path to take! He quietly asked himself, "Where do I go from here?" Suddenly, an 8-bit hand appeared floating in front of him. Flashing, it pointed its digit to the sky, while making a *BING –BING* sound. Dipper raised his head to see that besides the hole the green monstrosity made was a series of hand and footholds for scaling the rocky terrain. Dipper saluted the entity for the hint, "Thanks!" and went on his way, prompting the guide to disappear.

Upon reaching the top, Dipper spied ahead to see that there was a cave opening in the wall in front of him. As he approached it, once again, he felt rumbling coming from the stone walls, and again, green hands appeared from behind the rock. Instead of staying to fight, Dipper quickly booked through the new pathway, thinking aloud, "Nuts to this!"

Dipper was shocked to the discovery he found. He was now outside on a golden platform, overlooking a beautiful night blue skycap. Underneath the platforms stories up from the ground, he could easily see a raving river flowing across the landscape. Dipper looked ahead to see that a series of platforms, ladders and moving elevators stretched out beyond his vision. He moaned, but figured that he had no choice but to navigate his way through. Dipper began to climb up the nearest ladder when unexpectedly he felt something wrap around his ankle. Before he could glance down to see, Dipper was yanked off the ladder, landing hard on the platform.

He looked up to see that a young woman, wearing a Mohawk and donning a tank top and torn jeans, had literally _whipped_ him off the ladder. Dipper watched as the femme fatal retracted her whip and began to snap it ferociously at him, in hopes of startling the teen. Dipper jumped up and assumed a defensive pose, but held back. A somewhat noble thought lingered in his mind, "What am I going to do? I can't _hit a girl_! What would Wendy or Mabel say?"

Before Dipper could come up with a battle plan, the lady warrior once again lashed her whip towards the young boy. In reflex, he put up his arm, watching the whip wrapped around his bicep. Without a second thought, he pulled on it, yanking the woman forward, and flipping her over his shoulder. Instead of landing back on the platform, the mohawked villain fell over the platform, heading in a nosedive into the freezing brink below.

Dipper looked back into the freezing abyss, a feeling of mourning over his fallen opponent. "Yeah," he sighed to himself. "THAT was a lot better than knocking her on her butt…" Suddenly, he heard the sound of another door zipping open. Dipper quickly turned to see two more mohawked adversaries, very similar in design and weaponry, approaching him. He swiftly stashed the woman's whip and surveyed his surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper noticed another golden platform in the distance.

Taking a running start, Dipper leapt to the platform, just barely making the jump. He rolled upon landing, just nearly dropping off of the ledge. Panting, Dipper looked up exhaustedly at his female pursuers. They were traveling through the series of ladders and stages right after him! "I can't keep avoiding them forever…" Dipper worried to himself. Hopping from brick to brick, he finally reached a series of moving elevators leading upwards. Inhaling wildly, Dipper braced himself as he carefully dove onto the first elevator, careful not to lose his balance. He waited until the second moving elevator came into distance, and once more shot onto the floating slab. Dipper kept going at a continuous pace until he reached another golden platform, this time containing a new entryway.

He glanced down to see that the mohawked punks were _still _on his tail. "Man! They just won't quit!" he sighed to himself. "I gotta stop them, without actually fighting them…" An idea flashed into the mind of the young teen. He pulled the whip he had taken earlier and jammed it into the pulley mechanic controlling the flow of the floating elevators. Within seconds, Dipper heard a sickening jamming sound as he watched the platform freeze in place. Smiling at his own genius, he turned into the doorway.

Dipper soon found himself inside yet another temple-esque area with the same Asian themed designs as before. Staying on his toes, Dipper followed the red oriental carpeting, guided by a string of lit torches. Quickly, he found himself on a large platform doused in the same rug. Two giant torches kept the room bright illuminated. He seen that there were skull decorations (at least what he hoped "were decorations") creepily mounted on the wall beneath a silver door marked with the odd insignia that he had seen before, of two dragons joined together at the center. Dipper observed that there wasn't any other path to follow left! As was the case before, the platform was completely surrounded with pitfalls filled with razor sharp barbs. He glanced back to see that the path he took into the room had vanished entirely, being replaced with more needle-filled traps! "Oh…that cannot be good!" the teen groaned to himself.

Suddenly, the dragon marked door opened to Dipper's surprise. He watched in shock as a whole platoon of punks became barreling out! They all turned their eyes to Dipper, who immediately knew that he was hopelessly outnumbered. Something seemed off though; it seemed like _they were parting_, making way for someone or something else! Once again, the door opened to make way for a huge muscular punk rocker – not as massive as the green monsters that Dipper barely escaped – carrying some of high-caliber rifle. The man flashed a vicious smile towards the young hero, his eyes hidden away behind a pair of wrap-arounds, and in an instant, found himself to be in the rifle's crosshairs. As soon as Dipper heard the first *CLICK,* he dropped flat to the ground and covered his face. Through his blindness, Dipper goes easily hear the several *THUMPs* as more bodies fell to the floor. Dipper uncovered his eyes to see that every other gang member had dropped to the ground, without any trace of blood or gore or carnage. Like the defeated enemies before, they merely groaned and flashed their way out of existence!

Dipper glanced up at the rifleman, still smiling eerily at the young teen. "This guy is way past insane!" Dipper pondered. "He just took out _his_ _own crew_ without a second thought!" Dipper jumped up and began to strafe around the crazy boss, barely missing the second barrage of bullets. Unexpectedly, Dipper heard *CLICK* after *CLICK.* He glimpsed to see that the hood's gun had actually jammed! "This is my chance!" flashed through Dipper's mind. He immediately rushed the villain with an shoulder ram, knocking the bulky figure off-balance. Dipper swiftly reached for the weapon, trying to wrestle it away from his grip. In an instance of brute strength, the man thrust the butt of the gun into Dipper's face, making him cry out in anguish and stumble back a few paces. The punk lowered his gun to face Dipper, when at the last second, Dipper ducked down beyond reach and tackled his assailant's midsection. Stunned, the opponent stumbled back into the edge of the platform, and after teetering for a second or two, Dipper, still on the ground, watched as the colossal adversary fell backwards into the spiked pitfall awaiting him below.

Dipper shut his eyes, and waited for a *SPLAT,* which never came. Curious, he got up and peered over the edge of the carpeted platform. Once again, there were not any signs of violence; the only remains left of the foe were loose pixels vanishing into the air. Dipper laid back and let out a heavy heave, reflecting on the fact that he had just cheated virtual death once again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dipper seen as the dragon-laced door shot open once again. Excited (and even a bit over-confident) that he had just survived an entire gauntlet of ruthless thugs, he ran towards the opened passage, only to be greeted with a cheap punch to the face out of nowhere!

BLAM!

Dipper was launched onto his back, his vision blurry yet trying to make out what exactly just happened. Still groggy, all he could make out was that a figure donning a red vest, tight red leather pants, and a pair of knee-high dark brown boots had reached out of the darkness behind the door and given him a perfectly-placed cheap shot. The red-clothed figure began to speak onto Dipper, making his eyes reopen in shock!

"Yeah, that felt as GREAT as I always thought it would have…"

Dipper stood up to see the smirking face of his rival for Wendy's affections, Robbie V. He was stunned to see the gothic teen staring daggers at him. He forced himself to spit out something (anything!), "What?! How did _you_ get here?!"

Robbie scoffed at the boy's question. "Pppffff! Kid, I've been here for almost a week!"

"So, Rumble took you, too?!"

"No one took me anywhere!" Robbie shouted at the teen, slowly beginning to circle him, making Dipper incredibly wary and nervous. "I _decided to go_ with the kung-fu-guy!"

Dipper couldn't believe what he was hearing! Robbie, seeking pleasure in Dipper's dismay, continued the story, "I was at the arcade a few days ago, right after having an argument with Wendy. I was just playing a game when suddenly, that guy – Rumble- started to speak to me from the machine! I thought I was going crazy, until he starting babbling a lot of stuff that really got to me. He and I came to an understanding – we understand that you're a little punk that needs to be put in his place!"

With that, Robbie lounged towards the still dazed Dipper, unleashing a barrage of rapid-fire punches. Dipper tried his best to avoid the attacks, but the older teen had an advantage on him, in speed, strength, and reach. As Dipper struggled to stand, he realized that similar to himself, Robbie was not bound by the rules of the beat-'em-up game; it was as if they were fighting each other in the real world!

Suddenly, Robbie's words echoing through Dipper's mind sparked a single image. The teen groaned to his attacker, "Wendy…you're the one that led Wendy away…."

Robbie's smile grew deeper, "Guilty as charged…"

A sickening feeling flowed throughout Dipper's being. "Where is she?" he demanded. "What have you done to Wendy?!"

"Don't worry, kid. She's in a safe place! Besides, I think you have bigger problems to worry about…" With that, Robbie began another ruthless assault of blows versus the tiny hero. Dipper struggled to counter the attack, but unfortunately, it appeared that Robbie was given the same advantages of the game as was Dipper. The bombardment forced the exhausted newly-christen teen to his knees.

"How…" Dipper wheezed. "….How could you do this…to her?"

Robbie bent down to meet the kid face-to-face, "_To her_?! If anything, I'm doing this _for her_!" He then launched a swift kick deep into Dipper's midsection, making the boy gasp for air desperately. _"For us!"_

Seeing that Dipper was down even more so, Robbie continued his narration, "That Rumble guy swore that if I helped get revenge on you, that he'd make sure that Wendy and I can be together forever!"

Dipper, lacking the stength to even raise his head up, muttered, "You…fool! He's lying…to you! He's…he's gonna _kill_ her!"

"No…not kill her. He's just going to drain her life force. Basically, switch places in reality with her. This way, Wendy will be stuck in the game forever…with me, and there's nothing anyone can do about it!"

"Even…even if she hates you for it?"

Again, Robbie presented a devious sneer, "If she does, look at it this way; we _have an eternity_ to work out our problems…"

The nauseating feeling continued to flow through Dipper. He already knew that the gothic teen was a jerk and a bully, but he could never expect this insanity even from him! Despite the odds, Dipper remained determined,

"I…I won't let you…do this! I…won't let you take…_my_ Wendy away…."

Upon hearing Dipper's phrase, Robbie immediately saw red! He scooped the fallen teen up by the throat, and held him in the air. He screamed viciously at Dipper, shaking him all throughout:

"DON'T! YOU! EVER! SAY! THAT! AGAIN! _She_ will never be yours! Do you really think you have a chance with her, huh? Do you truly believe she, yet alone anyone else, _actually cares_ about a little freak like you? You're _worthless_, Dipper! Worthless and pathetic, and _Wendy knows this_! "

Still fuming, Robbie threw the boy, face down, back into the ground. Pain flowed through Dipper's entire body. He attempted to rise, only to feel Robbie's boot pressing down on his back. In spite of every nerve ending on his body being on fire, Dipper still clearly made out Robbie's continuing rants:

"You know, if it wasn't for you messing up my plans at the Dusk2Dawn, you and Wendy would not have any type of bond…"

"What…?" Dipper seemed confused by his comment.

"Really, kid? You still haven't figured it out, yet? Who do you think gave Wendy the idea to go exploring in a haunted convenience store?"

Suddenly, flashes of memories traveled through Dipper's mind at an alarming rate: Robbie's constant discouragement of both he and Mabel accompanying the teens to the shop, Robbie mocking him and the other teens into lying into the chalk outlines that awoken the shopkeeper ghosts, Robbie disappearing into nowhere when all the teens were held prisoner, leaving Wendy and himself to calm the angry spirits.

"You…you did all that…ON PURPOSE?! You…could have gotten _everyone_ killed!" Dipper felt Robbie press hard on his back.

"A small price to pay…" the gothic teen mocked the pinned boy. "All you had to do was stay out of the way! _ I_ was supposed to save Wendy from the ghosts! _I_ was supposed to be her hero! But, no, you had to get involved and save the day, right?! I'm only her boyfriend, known her since we were kids, yet, you, Dipper Pines, not even here for two months is sanctified as "_Wendy's little hero_…"

Dipper smiled at Robbie's jealous revelation. Wendy _did_ appreciate his (embarrassing) efforts! More than that, she even threw it in Robbie's face! However, he couldn't celebrate. If Robbie kept this up, there would be no one to stop his wicked designs over Dipper's favorite redheaded ginger. But, why couldn't he find the strength to stop him? Dipper wasn't afraid to admit that there was a sense of primal fear when considering the goth, but why? He was able to fend off the worst that Gravity Falls was able to toss at him, so why not this guy? Fading in and out of consciousness, the idea finally popped in his mind:

_Robbie, out of anybody, had the greatest probability of turning Wendy against him…away from him…_

Somehow, Dipper figured that this probably wouldn't be a factor anymore. As he started to fade away, Dipper could have sworn that he heard Wendy cheering him on; screaming for him to get back up! Dipper figured that it was merely his imagination; a result of being punch-drunk. Still, the illusion gave him renewed strength as he forced himself back on his feet.

"Huh?!" startled Robbie, who jumped back in reflex. He looked down at the risen teenager, meeting him eye-to-eye. "Back for more, eh?" laughed the villainous goth, as he cracked his knuckles.

Dipper knew that on a physical level alone, there was no way he could outdo Robbie, so he decided to try a new approach…

"You know, Robbie, you just made a critical mistake…"

"Oh, yeah?" the older teen stopped in his tracks. "And what's that?"

"You made me realize something…you're afraid of me. _You've always been afraid of me!"_

"W-W-What did you say?" Robbie stammered, still hesitating, as the boy began to circle him menacingly.

"It's true, isn't it? I mean, it all adds up, doesn't it? You take every attempt to humiliate me in front of Wendy. You flaunt your "intentions" towards Wendy publicly, even in my sister's presence. Heck, the only time I _actually_ see you show _any affection to her_ is to try to _spite me_! Now, that's truly pathetic!"

Robbie rushed in, "SHUT UP!" only to be recoiled by a well-time knee shot to the gut by Dipper.

"…and why do you do all of this, Robbie? Because Wendy shows me a little affection here and there? Because everything she admires about me IS _everything you aren't_?!"

Robbie threw a shot towards Dipper, only to have it countered and be given a backhand across the face. Smiling, Dipper knew his plan was working. Robbie was losing focus and getting sloppy.

"You talk about how you were _almost a hero_, but _why weren't you_? Because deep down, behind this B.S. tough guy persona, you're a coward, that's why! When Wendy truly needed you, and things got real, you chickened out!"

Robbie, now recovered, launched another barrage towards the bragging teen. Dipper dropped on his knees and delivered a direct blow to his midsection, forcing him to hutch over. Dipper flew into the air and delivered an elbow drop into Robbie's head, knocking him to the floor.

Dipper reached over and grabbed the gothic teen by his hair, raising to meet him face-to-face.

"It's not enough that Wendy _loved_ you, wasn't it? It wasn't enough that she _adored_ you despite you ignoring her, lying to her, and treating her like crap! It wasn't enough that you never treated her _like a princess_ like she deserves to be! It's not enough that I would probably never see her again after this summer!"

He pulled the stunned older teen closer, so now they now faced each other nose-to-nose.

"I have to thank you, Robbie, for showing me; reminding me that _I'm the better man_! I may not deserve Wendy, Robbie, but _she definitely deserves much better than you_!"

Robbie could do nothing, but stare with empty eyes at the victorious teen.

Disgusted, Dipper let go of the defeated goth, letting him sink to the floor. As Dipper turned away, he heard a horrendous roar coming from behind him. Dipper looked to see the red garbed villain rush towards him! Without thinking, Dipper soared into the air, and as if caught in a cyclone, delivered a jump kick that struck Robbie in the face multiple times! Robbie flew across the platform as Dipper landed gracefully on his feet.

Both teens stared at each other, breathing heavily, each waiting for the other's next move.

After what seemed like forever, Dipper, being on his guard, walked over to Robbie, and to his opponent's surprise, he offered his hand.

"You say you want to be Wendy's hero? It's not too late to prove it! Help me stop Rumble and save _our_ girl! Let's bring her home together!"

Robbie looked away from the teen, but reluctantly accepted his hand. Dipper pulled him back to his bearings.

"Since that's settled…" Dipper sighed. "How do we get outta here?"

Robbie pointed towards the end of the stage, "There's a hidden moving platform that floats by every couple of minutes. It'll take us to the next area…"

Dipper went and looked out towards the beyond, seeing only rows upon rows of steel spikes. "I don't see anything out there. Are you sure th-"

Suddenly, a somewhat familiar scream echoed throughout the room:

"DIPPER! WATCH OUT! DUCK!"

Dipper turned to see Robbie charging towards him in a mad rage. Taking the random advice, Dipper ducked down, only to have Robbie trip over him. Dipper watched in horror as with a sharp scream, Robbie was launched over the platform's edge, onto the spiky pit!

Despite the fact that he truly hated the gothic teenager, Dipper cringed at Robbie's apparent fate. He peered over expecting to see a bloody mess, only to discover yet another flashing body dissolving into a pixelated mess.

Dipper looked around to see the source of his secret helper. He began to look around the room, without finding a single clue! "Where did that come from?!" he asked himself. Once again, the voice shout out,

"Hey, Doofus! Up here!"

Dipper raised his head to see his secret helper.

Against the left most wall, literally just below the ceiling, Wendy was hung against the wall. A thick rope stemming from the ceiling, wrapped around her torso, kept her elevated. Dipper noticed that like himself, her outfit had changed to a retro-esque style as well. Her red hair was permed neatly. She was placed into a lively red get-up and petite skirt, ornamented with a black mini leather jacket, with tacky '80s style jewelry and studded belt. Black high-heeled pumps dangled from the balls of her feet. Dipper grinned upon seeing the redhead with dimpled smile gleaming down at him.

He thought to himself, "It wasn't my imagination; Wendy _was cheering me on_! Despite being bound and left helpless dozens of feet in the air, Wendy was able to _save my life_!"

However, a horrifying thought jumped into Dipper's mind:

"Wait, Wendy _was here_ the _entire time_! She watched and heard _the whole conversation_ with Robbie!"

Dipper looked up, with great shock at the truth that awaited him, to see Wendy still smiling at him with affection.

_"She knows everything now! She knows my greatest secret!"_


	7. Chapter 7

_"The way you can cut a rug; watching you is the only drug I need.  
So gangster, I'm so thug; you're the only one I'm dreaming of.  
You see, I can be myself, now finally.  
In fact, there's nothing I can't be.  
I want the world to see you being with me."_

"Hey, Soul Sister," by Train

**Chapter 7 – Reunion**

A still-slightly muscular, yet seriously bruised, Dipper Pines continued to stare up at the sight before him. At long last, after journeying through countless virtual worlds and battling impossible odds, he had _finally_ found his secret love, Wendy Corduroy, left dangling in ropes several feet in the air. With her help, he had narrowly defeated Wendy's (ex?) boyfriend, Robbie V., who had plotted a twisted, horrific fate for her. Despite this, a time of jubilation and rejoicing, a piercing feeling of dread overwhelmed the teenage boy.

His _supposed secret_ adoration of Wendy wasn't a _secret any longer_!

"OHMANOHMANOHMAN!" flowed through Dipper's panicked mind. He had said several things to mess with Robbie's mind, including him admitting love for Wendy, in hopes of gaining an advantage during their fight, but never did he expect _her_ to overhear him! What was he going to do?!

He glanced back up at the beaming redheaded ginger, still bound across her waist and garbed in '80s style clothing. Dipper wondered to himself if perhaps this was the very last time that Wendy would smile at him _ever again_! He quickly came to the conclusion that no matter what happened next, things would definitely never be the same…

Suddenly, his concentration was broken with an earnest question.

"Can you let me down now?"

Dipper looked up to see that Wendy's gleaming smile had morphed into a confused frown with lowered eyebrows. After coming back to his senses, Dipper nodded at the worried teenage girl, and began to analyze her confinement. He quickly saw that the rope holding Wendy was wrapped around a beam in the ceiling, leading to a ledge on the corner of the room, where it was tightly tied into a knot.

Dipper hustled to the knot, and began to undo it. He clutched the loose rope in his hands, and turned towards Wendy, "I'm going to start lowering you gently, okay?"

Wendy nodded back at her friend. Dipper yelled back, "Get ready!"

Dipper started to let the line down slowly, moving it hand over hand. All of a sudden, the cord began to slip through his hands, giving him a slight case of rope burns on his palms. He painfully let go, trying to make the sting go away. A cry brought him back to reality:

"AAH! DIPPER!"

Dipper spun to see that Wendy was hurling towards the ground at an alarming speed! Without thinking twice, he ran in full force towards the falling girl, muttering to himself under his breath:

"CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!"

He jumped in the air and just barely caught Wendy in his arms, making her gasp in exhilaration. Landing roughly on one knee, Dipper looked down, his dark brown eyes meeting her emerald green ones. Both teens blushed at the moment at hand, forcing themselves to glance away from one another. For the first time ever, he and Wendy were the same size; the same height. A serene quiet filled the room for a single moment that felt like an eternity. A moment, Dipper knew, that was granted only by the "enhancements" that the gaming world had given him. A moment not truly based in reality, he feared. Wendy was the first to break the silence,

"Great catch…" she whispered to Dipper.

Dipper smiled and forced out a nervous laugh, "Hehe…thanks." With that, he carefully set Wendy back onto her high-heeled feet on the ground. The uneasy quiet swiftly returned. Both knew the matter at hand, yet either were ready to begin threading on it.

An idea popped into Dipper's mind. It wasn't a perfect thought, but maybe; just _maybe_, it could be an easy way out.

Dipper reached over and pinched Wendy's forearm, making the shocked teenager yelp back in reflex. She quickly retaliated with a hasty, yet hard blow to his shoulder. "Jerk!" she snarled at him, "After everything that's happened, THAT'S the very first thing you do?!"

Dipper stepped back and rubbed his shoulder. "Sorry," he apologized. "This may sound weird, Wendy, but _I just had_ to make sure it's really you."

Wendy's anger was quickly replaced with regret. She, too, reflected on the last few hours, and hurriedly understood where Dipper was coming from. She glanced back at the embarrassed teenager still trying to explain his actions, his eyes lowered to the carpeted flooring.

"It's just that a lot of crazy stuff happened today; I mean, _crazier than usual_ like-"

Dipper was suddenly cut off when within a split second, Wendy rushed in and embraced him, effectively silencing the newly-christened teen. Stuttering in shock at first, Dipper finally gave in the warmth flowing throughout his body. He closed his eyes, and in spite of how much he wanted this; how much _he dreamed of such a moment_, the boy really didn't feel excited. After everything that happened today, of all of the false hopes and wicked illusions presented to him, for the first time in a really, long time, Dipper felt relaxed with Wendy there, safe and sound. He was at peace.

In response, he wrapped his arms around Wendy's dainty frame. Unbeknownst to him, she closed her eyes and returned the same sincere, soothing smile, as if everything was alright now.

Dipper opened his eyes to see the smirking tranquil teen in his arms. This time, he broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

Wendy opened her eyes to see the teenager mere inches away from her face, complete with worried expression. She quietly sighed to him, hoping to elevate his mood, "Never better. How about you?"

Dipper reflected on the brutal beating that Robbie had given him earlier. Despite his aches and pains, he didn't want to worry Wendy, nor ruin this moment.

"Just fine. Just a bump here and there."

"So…"

"So…"

Once again, the teens were lost in silence, blushing and looking down at their feet, carefully trying to avoid spoiling the serene. Dipper gulped, knowing that despite his wishes and fears, they couldn't stay like this forever. Otherwise, he wouldn't be any better than Robbie.

"So, do you hate me now?"

"HUH?!" Wendy questioned, the comment nearly knocking her over. She rushed over to the saddened teenager and put her hands on his shoulders, with her eyes fully raised. "How could you say, or EVEN think something like that?!"

Dipper's eyes shot away from the glowing green ones staring him down. With another gulp, Dipper forced himself to look at the girl he loved so much, and answer her.

"Wendy, I know that _there's no way_ you didn't hear what I said to Robbie…"

Wendy lowered her eyes to the young boy. "And…?" she quizzed.

"Look," he continued. "I'm sorry for the way things turned out. Despite me hating him with every fiber of my being, I know – I understand that he was special to you…"

"And…?"

Dipper stopped in confusion. He didn't know how else to apologize; how else to keep going while walking on eggshells in hopes that Wendy didn't end up furious at him.

"And…I don't know what else I could say...I just…I just didn't want him to end up hurting you. That's it…"

Wendy tightened her grip on Dipper's shoulders. "This is it…" he thought. "She's going to let me have it…"

A smirk began to form on the redhead's dimpled face, "Dipper, you do realize that Robbie is the one that tied me up there, right?" She pointed at the wall where she previously hung.

"Yeah…"

She continued on, "Did you know that _he lied to me_, promising me that you were safe and waiting for me here?"

"Umm…not exactly…"

She nodded along, "So, imagine my surprise when I wake up, hanging from the ceiling; a front row seat to Robbie viciously pounding on you without remorse, bragging in delusion all the way…"

"But, Wendy…" Dipper protested.

"But, nothing!" she interrupted, raising a finger to silence the teen. "Even when you had him beat, you offered him a chance to redeem himself, for my sake. _For my sake_, Dipper! You were going team up with someone you totally hated to _help me_!"

"Yeah…" he mumbled. He had NO idea where Wendy was going with this inquisition.

Wendy pulled the teenager closer to her, "So, _why exactly_ should I have _any reason_ to hate _you_?"

Dipper was a loss for words. Despite the day's events, he never expected _that_ answer from Wendy. There was no essence of regret or remorse in her voice. Could she have gotten over his gothic nemesis so quickly?

She lowered her eyes at the boy, the tone in her voice becoming a bit more serious, "Robbie, for whatever happened to him, _chose_ to act the way he did. That's NOT your fault, Dipper! In my eyes, you did everything you could to change that."

Dipper didn't realize it at first, but Wendy had slipped her hands into his, making him blush.

"So…you're not mad at me?"

Wendy resumed smiling, "Not one bit!"

Dipper sighed in relief. "Well, now that's settled…" As he went to turn away, he felt Wendy hang on tightly to his hands, holding him hostage.

"Now," Wendy said calmly, remembering her promise to herself. "Let's talk about the _other stuff_ that _you_ said…"

Dipper clenched, biting his lip nervously. "Umm…like what exactly?"

"Oh, I dunno." Wendy put a quizzed look on her face. "Like _me_ being _your Wendy_, or you saying I should be treated like a _princess_, or perhaps how _I_ deserve better than Robbie or _yourself_?"

Dipper's mouth was gaped wide open. _Wendy did hear everything!_

Taking her index finger, Wendy gently closed his opened mouth for him. Upon her touch, Dipper seemed like he was reactivated out of shock, "Wendy, _please_ wait! I can explain-"

"You meant everything you said, right?" she asked him in a serious, yet gentle voice. "It wasn't just you trying to psyche Robbie out. You truly meant every word, didn't you?"

Dipper looked up at the green eyes shining back at him. Standing like this, face-to-face, with the truth out in the air, he came to a decision:

_No more hiding. No more lying_.

"I meant it. I meant it _with all of my heart_…"

Wendy gasped, releasing her hold on Dipper's hand. It wasn't the answer of the question that shocked her (she has expecting a series of stammers and hesitant half-truths), but Dipper's tone, a serious, bold statement coming from such a young mind that caused surprise. Wendy did admire the "hidden adult" in Dipper. It made it feel as if she was hanging out for another 15-year-old in disguise, but at times, such as this, that made her wonder if the newly-christened teen could be the most intelligent adolescent in Gravity Falls. It was his next comment, however, that nearly made Wendy drop to her knees:

"…even if you don't feel the same…"

With that, Wendy understood that the boy instantly put the ball in her court. She looked back at Dipper, his eyes closed, and his body scrunched back, as if he was expecting to be _punched in the face_.

Wendy stood in realization of Dipper's response, "Even after this experience, he doesn't _expect_ anything coming to him…it's almost like the only thing he's _already_ _expecting_ is _to lose_…_lose me_…"

After a brief silence, Dipper sensed something gently gasping his hand once again. He opened an eye to see Wendy, on one knee, looking up at him. Even more confusion surrounded Dipper, when suddenly, Wendy began to speak again,

"Dipper, what exactly is it that _you want from me_?"

Her statement took Dipper back. He wasn't prepared for anything but the worse. As he truly thought about the right thing to say, Wendy started again,

"Did you want something like what Robbie and I had?"

With the mention of a comparison to his fallen foe, Dipper shot up and respond, "WHAT?! No way! If anything, I would want something _better than that_!"

Dipper covered his mouth, regretting his outburst, while Wendy returned a confused look. He wiggled free of Wendy's hold, and began to pace, trying to find the right words to offer a bit of clarity. Wendy's eyes followed the teen walking back and forth, as she wondered what he would say next. Finally, Dipper stopped in his tracks, turned around to face reality.

"Okay…okay…it's like this. I meant exactly what I said earlier. Robbie definitely didn't deserve you, but then again, I'm not sure that I deserve to be in your life, either…"

He moved closer to her, only this time, he took Wendy's hand instead of the other way around.

"To me, you're the best, Wendy Corduroy. You're smart, funny, hip, and confident; heck, you're a billion different things that I cannot even begin list right now. To be honest, you're one of, if not the greatest person I have ever met…"

"Dipper, wait…"

"Let me finish, please?" he interrupted her. "Or else, I don't think I'll be able to start again…"

Hesitating at first, Wendy nodded, allowing the young adult to continue.

"Anyway, it isn't just that. When we hang out, I feel and even act like a totally different person. I'm calm; I'm relaxed; I'm actually a _fun_ person! Someone that people _actually_ like! And you enable all of that! I'm not sure how, but that's another thing that's special about you, Wendy. You seem to bring out the best in people…"

Wendy was lost in the boy's words. Does she really do all of the things Dipper gives her credit for?

"…and I know that it might seem self-centered to ask you for such a thing. In fact, I can probably think of more reasons _of why you shouldn't_ versus _why you should_. I'm not stupid, Wendy; I'm realistic. I understand that there is a very, very good chance that after this summer, that I will probably never see you ever again…"

Wendy's subtle smile quickly changed to a frown. "To be honest…" she thought to herself. "…the thought of the twins leaving _so soon_ hadn't crossed my mind…"

"…but at the same time, that's why, unlike Robbie, I wouldn't take you for granted. I would want every day to be a new experience; a new memory to treasure, so that way, if the worst-case scenario happens, I…err…_we_ can look back and say, 'Hey, at least we made the most of our time together…"

Dipper looked down to see Wendy standing still, utterly quiet. He thought to himself that he failed in reaching her. In truth, Wendy was _stunned_, nearly on the verge of tears. Dipper continued on,

"I know it seems stupid, but back home, I'm kinda of a loner, save for Mabel. Basically, I'm surrounded by rich snobby kids trying to act like gangstas and valley girls. It might sound cliché, but I've been waiting to meet someone special like you for a long time. I'm sorry, Wendy, if _I_ ruined things right now. Even if this is close as we get, I just hope for more moments like today; you know, before the kidnapping…"

The last segment made Wendy chuckle lightly, but then awkward silence resumed. Dipper sighed, looking up at Wendy, who continued to stand silent, her emerald eyes going right through him. He thought to himself, "At least I can say I tried…"

As he turned away to gather his thoughts, Dipper was yanked forward by the teenaged hand that he held lightly. He found himself once again, in Wendy's arms, only this time was different. Dipper could feel the warmth of her tears streaming down her face into his body. This made Dipper's heart shatter.

"Hey, don't cry, Wendy, please…"

The girl pulled herself away from the teenaged boy, and began to sob to him, "You *SNIFFLE* don't listen to Robbie or anyone else! You _aren't worthless_! You're such a great guy! Especially to _me_! Even when I don't _deserve_ it!"

"Wendy, don't get upset –"

"No! *SOB* It's true, Dipper! If there's one thing I don't say enough to you, it's 'Thank you." Thank you for always seeing how I'm doing. Thank you for making me smile and laugh on the gloomiest of days. Thank you for making work not seem like a total bore! "

Wendy's voice changed to a serious tone once more, making Dipper frown in uneasiness.

"Thank you, Dipper, for saving my life and the lives of my friends at the Dusk2Dawn…and I'm sorry for not saying so earlier…it's not that I didn't mean to; it's just that you'll find out that in your teenage years, you'll do a lot of stupid stuff without any rhyme or reason. I'm not excusing it, but Dipper, you deserve an explanation to why I'm a _terrible_ person…"

Wendy closed her eyes, only to feel her tears being softly wiped away. She opened them to see Dipper, a calming smile on his face, drying her dimpled, freckled cheeks using a feather's touch. He began to still the blustered teenage girl.

"Trust me, Wendy; _my Wendy_…if there's one word that _doesn't_ come to my mind when describing _you_, it's "terrible."

The girl looked deep into his dark eyes as a thin smile began to spread across her face.

"Wendy, I don't care about any of those things! I know that deep down, that _isn't who you truly are_. Now, _this_…" Dipper said, wiping away another tear. "_This_, is who I believe the _true_ Wendy is _at heart_. This is the Wendy I…I _love_ so much…"

Both teens fell silent, still embracing, trying to figure out where to go from there.

Wendy let go and stood back up. She took a deep breath, and looked at the teenager whom just poured his heart out to her. She reflected on everything, yet remembered her talk with the fairy, to which she admitted to it that "_Dipper deserved better…_"

"Dipper…"

He looked up with glowing eyes at the redhead.

"Dipper, I don't think it would be a good idea to be boyfriend/girlfriend…"

The young boy sighed at the defeat, "Is it because you're older than me?" he asked innocently.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just-"

"Then, is it because you're way taller than me?"

"DIPPER! Let me finish!"

The boy nodded silently as Wendy continued onwards. "_As I was saying_…it wouldn't be a good idea to be boyfriend/girlfriend just YET!"

Dipper raised an eyebrow, totally confused by Wendy's statement.

Wendy explained further, "You brought up a lot of good points, and yeah, I…"

Dipper watched, hanging on every word, as Wendy looked down, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"…I share a lot of the same feelings _for you_, too…"

An enormous smile spread across Dipper's face.

Wendy continued her clarification, "…but you were right about you leaving _so soon_…"

Dipper's smile shrank back into a frown, instantly regretting his total honesty.

"The last thing that I want to do is leave you _heartbroken_ at the end of the summer, especially over something that _neither of us_ can control…"

Dipper nodded along with her words, but when they stopped, he spoke up,

"So…"

Wendy knelt down to meet the jumbled teen face to face, "So, that means, while I can't give you what exactly what you were expecting, _at least right now_, Dipper, I can try to give you _something just as good_…and I guarantee it's _way_ better than what Robbie and I had…"

Dipper perked up a bit, especially after hearing the "_better than what Robbie had_," part.

Wendy pulled back a bit, smiling, and pointed her thumb back at herself, "Dipper Pines! Say hello to your exclusive, one-and-only _gal pal_!"

Dipper gave a confused smile, "That's great, Wendy! But…what exactly is that?"

Wendy rolled her eyes, trying to come up with a perfect definition, "Umm….okay! It's like this! Think of it as having a girlfriend, but without having any of the responsibilities of a boyfriend! It's like sharing all of the important things in life; having each other's backs, without relying on the "mushy" stuff all the time…"

Wendy could see by the expression on Dipper's face that he was still lost.

"Do you remember how a few moments ago, how you wished that we could make a ton of great memories together?"

Dipper nodded to her statement.

"Well, this kinda of solidifies that sort of thing." Wendy put her hands onto Dipper's shoulders once again. "This way, I can give you all those things _that you want_, but also things _that you need_, Dipper. And you know what? I wouldn't want to share those things with anyone else!"

Dipper finally broke his silence. "D-Do…you really mean that, Wendy?"

She slapped the teen hard on his shoulder, "Of course, dork! I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it!" Dipper noticed that Wendy's emerald eyes lightened as she continued speaking, "It's like how I said earlier, Dipper; you're _my boy_! You're…err…what's that nickname Mabel always says?" Wendy put her hand up to her chin in deep thought. Her face suddenly lit up and she snapped her fingers in success. "That's it! Dipping sauce! You're my little "_dipping sauce_!"

Wendy looked on as the young teen was allured by her touching speech. He interrupted, "Is that like how I'll always see you as "_my Wendy_?"

Wendy crossed her arms, a frown on her face, "No offense, but perhaps can you try to pick a different nickname?"

"Oh, okay! Hmmm….let's see, how about…cupcake?"

Wendy shook her head in dismay, "…'_your Wendy'_ it is…"

The laughter of both teenagers filled the now-empty room.

Wendy started again, "Anyhoo…that's what you are to me, Dipper, and that's not going to change, even when you leave Gravity Falls. After everything's said and done, I'll always be a quick text or email or even car ride away!"

Wendy could easily see the change in Dipper's spirit. This is exactly what she hoped for.

"Besides, do you really think that _I_ would _let you_ walk out of my life just like that?" Wendy poked Dipper's little pink nose. "Kid, the _second_ that you leave, I will _personally_ spearhead the "Bring Dipper back for '14!" campaign!" She raised her hand in pledge, "I swear it!"

Dipper began to laugh again, "Yeah, I bet you would…"

The redhead finished her proposal, "This way, if _something more comes from it; from everything_, then so be it. If not, then at least we have a ton of great memories _together_!"

Dipper nodded, finally understanding where Wendy was coming from. She wasn't trying to "friend-zone" him or even blow him off due to his age. Like he did earlier, she was being _honest, but realistic_. However, she did have a point – everything that she promised was what _he really wanted at heart_.

"I'd like that, Wendy; I'd like that a lot!"

"Ohhh!" Wendy leaned over and held Dipper close for the third time. He quickly followed suit and wrapped his arms around her once more

"I love ya, _little guy_. I hope you always remember that, _no matter what_…"

"Love you, too, _my Wendy_…always…."

Both teens released their grips and looked each other in the eyes, each deeply smiling at the other. Dipper softly held Wendy's hand, and helped the girl back to her feet. They walked side-by-side, still hand in hand, heading towards the door marked with the conjoined dragons.

"You know, Dipper; it's funny the way everything's worked out like this. To be honest, I thought there might be a chance that you were upset with me."

Dipper stopped and looked at the girl's sad green eyes, "What?! Why would you ever think that?"

Wendy rubbed her shoulder, "Well, your birthday did get totally ruined…"

"But, Wendy, you had nothing to do with that! If anything…"

Despite knowing that all the good that just happened could get certainly ruined, Dipper began to explain his long, complicated history with Rumble McSkirmish to Wendy; from Robbie's challenge to Dipper at Circle Park, to him accidentally unleashing the virtual warrior to defend himself, to saving Robbie when Rumble took it a step too far, to the latest encounter when Rumble entrapped both he and Mabel in a virtual copy of Gravity Falls.

Wendy raised an eyebrow after hearing Dipper's incredible story. "Well…" she started. "That does explain a lot…" Wendy began to recall Rumble's rants and suddenly, all the holes in the story began to fill up. Wendy rushed back to reality as she felt a tight squeeze in her right hand. She turned to the nervous teen next to her.

"Regardless of everything that's happened, Dipper, it's not really your fault, either…" Dipper sighed in relief. "If anything, it seems that you tried your best to correct your mistakes and make everything right…" She held her hand against his chin, "That's a lot more than what most people could say for themselves."

Dipper smiled back at her reassurance, "Thanks, Wendy…" As they began to walk together again, a thought popped into his head. "Hey, Wendy…"

"Yeah, Dip?"

"It's kind of like you said earlier today, right?"

Wendy glanced confusedly at the teenager, "I say a lot of things. You gotta be a bit more specific."

"Remember when you were telling me that story? You said, "_Sometimes, these things happen, and everything goes sour, but the important thing is that you never turn on each other at the end of the day_!" It's like that, right?"

A weird feeling shortly overcame Wendy. This boy had managed to take a _nonsense statement_ that she had used to shy guilt away from her actions into a form of self-imposed _mantra_ with hidden meanings of _loyalty_ and _companionship_. It was _just like Dipper_ to do something like that…

Wendy didn't know why exactly she did it; maybe it was the overall stress of today; perhaps it was the unintended sweetness of the teenage boy next to her than put her over the top, but without a second thought, she pulled Dipper closer, and to his complete surprise, Wendy _kissed_ him on the lips.

After a brief, yet somewhat endless moment, Wendy pulled her head back from the newly-christened teen and smiled at the sight before her. Dipper stood, eyes closed, skin beet red, with a stretched smile plastered across his face, in a state of literal shock.

"T-T-that…" he hopelessly stuttered. "I-I-just-don't…"

Wendy couldn't help but giggle at Dipper's reaction.

"I-I can't believe…_that_ just happened!"

Wendy offered a calm, collected smirk, "Hey, the way I see it, _no one else_ would believe it if you bragged anyway!"

Both teens laughed at the scenario presented to them, until the dazed Dipper realized Wendy's meaning. "Hey, wait a sec!" he protested. "That's not funny!"

His reaction made Wendy laugh even harder, "Dude, you're right! That's not funny! _That's priceless_!"

"So, will anymore of _those_ be included with said "_gal pal_" clause?"

Wendy shot the boy a defiant look, "Perhaps…"

Excitedly, Dipper put his hand over his heart, feeling it beat at rapid-fire speed! However, he also felt a different lump inside of his vest. A memory burst into Dipper's thoughts.

"Wait, Wendy! I forgot something!"

Wendy turned to see Dipper struggling to pull an object out of his vest. Upon the sight of it, Wendy let out a happy cry!

Dipper held Wendy's trademark brown trapper hat in his arms. In all of the craziness, Wendy had nearly forgotten about it.

Excitedly, she plucked the hat out of Dipper's hands and placed it onto the crown of red hair on her head. She posed for her friend, "Thanks a lot! I really missed this old thing! I almost felt "nekkid" without it."

Dipper nodded, "Happy to be of service. I'm just – WHOA!"

Dipper jumped back as a wave of pixels swept through Wendy from head to toe. He cried out, "WENDY!" not exactly sure what was happening at the moment. As quickly as they appeared, the pixel vanished, leaving Wendy back in her traditional outfit of green plaid flannel, blue jeans, and mud-stained lumberjack boots. Even her permed, straighten hair resumed its natural messy and frizzled state.

"Wendy!" Dipper rushed towards his stunned crush. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah…I think so…" Wendy felt around her body to acknowledge her change in outfit. Upon the realization of what just happened, she sighed quietly to herself, "Ahhh! Comfort!"

"Wendy…" Dipper called out. "You look like _you_, again!"

"Yep!" she bragged. "Nothing beats a classic...though you have to admit, I did look great in that trashy '80s get-up."

Dipper copped to it, surprised that he was asked a question like that, "True…but _this_ is how you look in my mind's eye…" While he was glad that Wendy was safe, he was getting tired of all of these surprises that the gaming worlds threw at him. "I think it's time we get out of here…" Wendy nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a voice bellowed throughout the room, "HOW ADORABLE! TOO BAD IT WON'T LAST LONG!"

With that, the dragon-sealed door shot open with a flash of bright white light. Dipper and Wendy could feel an unseen force attempt to drag them inside, similar to that of a vacuum. Without thinking twice, Dipper grasped on to Wendy's hands. He thought to himself, "_I can't…no…I won't lose her again_!"

Holding each other tightly as they were helplessly pulled closer into the light, Wendy screamed to Dipper, "Dipper, what do we do?"

He looked back at her, "Just hang on to me! It'll be alright!" He groaned, hoping that whatever happened next, he would be able to keep his word to Wendy.

Both teens let out a scream as they were finally yanked off their feet, sucking them in the new portal. Within seconds, the bright, blinding light overlapped the couple, leading them to yet another unknown location…


	8. Chapter 8

_"I've found a reason to show,  
a side of me you didn't know.  
A reason for all that I do,  
and the reason is you."_

"The Reason," by Hoobastank

**Chapter 8 – Our Final Fight**

Dipper and Wendy flew once more through virtual time and space, only this time, they did so hand-in-hand. Despite the dire circumstances at hand, the teens knew that they had at one advantage; one comfort to consider:

For whatever this place would throw at them, at least _they would face it together_.

Within seconds, both adolescents had landed in a mangled mess of each other, complete with a deafening *THUD* and several following groans. Scrambling to her feet, Wendy stood up and went to help a still-dazed Dipper. She didn't realize it at first, but after noticing the ease of assisting her friend, Wendy perceived that he had changed again!

"Dipper!" she exclaimed. "You're _you_ again!"

"Wha?" slurred the boy, still stunned from his hard-hitting arrival. In her excitement, Wendy picked up the confused boy and held him tightly in her arms. While Dipper did enjoy being squeezed lovingly by his not-so-secret love, her observation filled him with dread as he analyzed his current state. He had regained his orange and blue ensemble, complete with short pants, sneakers, and trademark white and blue pine trucker cap.

"Oh, no! I'm _little_ again!"

Dipper sighed to himself. He was reminded of his natural state as he wasn't able to meet Wendy face to face as he could (when enhanced) only a few moments ago. Now, he was barely able to reach her shoulders, height wise. Dipper's brow further lowered as the realization hit him that he was left without_ any advantage_ given by the gaming worlds! He closed his eyes while lowering his head onto her shoulder, wondering how he was going to able to do keep his promise now?

"Where are we?" she asked.

Dipper raised his head and was lowered back to the ground. He and Wendy looked around the new environment. Both were taken aback as they noticed that they were being watched by dozens of green and purple hooded beings. Due to the fact that they were totally covered, Dipper couldn't make out if these things were even _human_! He felt Wendy put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look to see her pointing out towards the distance past the group.

"Dipper…" she asked curiously. "Are we in Italy?"

Dipper, standing on his tip-toes, looked around to see a sunset background stretching out, totally covered in arched and curved worn out concrete buildings. Some of the ancient-looking structures were left wide open or caved-in in a form of decay. Dipper turned back towards Wendy,

"I'm not sure, Wendy. I mean, you're right; the construction definitely looks Romanesque, but other than that, I don't see anything else that –"

Dipper's analogy was interrupted by a loudening and repeating *BOOM* sound. Dipper and Wendy glared around to find the source of the sound coming closer. Both teens watched as a path of the building they (as well as the masked group) stood in front of began to glow brightly. With each *BOOM,* an unlit torch in the road began to light up on its _own_ accord, until all where fully lit!

Suddenly, another hooded figure, garbed in red and blue, appeared at the end of the torch-lit walkway. With a sense of nervousness growing over him, Dipper instinctively stepped in front of Wendy (despite her easily towering over the small teen). He looked up to see Wendy's emerald eyes staring down at him with the same sense of worry he shared. Trembling a bit, Dipper whispered to his lanky crush,

"Stay close to me, okay?"

Looking down, Wendy nodded obediently.

Dipper stood on guard defiantly. He knew that regardless of all of the trials that these villains have put him through, it was _Wendy's_ life that was truly at risk. After all, it was her life force that Rumble and the other rogues craved. He glanced up to see Wendy staring into the distance, still with concern on her face. Dipper knew what was asked of him, _"I've gotten Wendy into this mess. I'm going to get her out unscathed…"_

He gulped at the approaching robed figure, and then looked down at his natural, yet fragile frame.

_"…no matter what."_

They looked to see as the red and blue hooded figure approached the group, they spread out, parting a clear passage for it. Dipper asked himself, "Are they kinda like followers? Is this some sort of cult thing?"

Shortly, the red/blue figure moved to the front of the group, mere yards before Wendy and Dipper. Wendy looked on in shock, as she noticed that this person was, at least_, three times the size_ of any of the other robed figures.

The hooded giant pulled back his top to reveal his true identity. The rough, rugged, and scarred face of Rumble McSmirkish stared back at the readied teens. Silently, he raised his hand in the air. Dipper and Wendy watched in awe as every single hooded individual bowed their heads and quickly parted ways, exiting the arena.

Only the three remained.

Rumble was the first to speak, "So, it is as I predicted to "ginger-freckled princess…"

Dipper looked up to see an anxious look spread across Wendy's face. The game villain pointed straight at Wendy.

"…Rumble WILL take your life force, and WILL laugh as you two DIE TOGETHER!"

Dipper had heard enough. He began to speak up, "Not while I'm-"

He was interrupted quickly by Wendy, shouting back at their opponent from over his head, "You want _us_, ugly? Come and get _us_!"

Dipper glanced back with a confused look towards his "gal pal." She noticed his expression, and explained, "WHAT?! Did you really think _I'd let you face this guy all by yourself_?"

Dipper, embarrassed, tried to stumble up an answer, "Well, yeah… I mean, no… umm…maybe?"

Wendy rolled her eyes at the naïve 13-year old. "And who says chivalry is dead?" She put her hand on the shoulder of the boy attempting to shield her from harm. "Dipper, remember; _no matter what, we're in this together_, okay? _You aren't alone_!" Dipper returned her gesture with a smile stretching from ear to ear. His face turned serious as he faced his enemy once more.

Rumble threw his multi-colored robe onto the ground. With an ear-shattering roar, Rumble began to run viciously towards the joined teens.

Dipper could feel Wendy's grip on his shoulder tighten. She warned him, "Be ready for _anything_…"

Lightning abruptly flashed throughout the sky, as the two prepared for the stampeding warrior, blinding both Wendy and Dipper. As they shielded their eyes, both could make out the sounds of blows landing, a humongous moan, and something hitting the ground.

Dipper and Wendy opened their eyes to see dust settling, and to their astonishment, found a beaten and bruised Rumble lying motionless on the ground. They turned to each other, when Dipper spit out, "Gotta be honest with you, Wendy. I _definitely_ wasn't ready for _that_!"

As more dust cleared from the scene, the two started to make out yet another person in the distance; someone who wasn't there before Rumble's arrival. Dipper, his shorten height enabling a clearer sight through the dirt-filled wind, could see that said being was even bigger than Rumble! Garbed in a pitch black robe with red trimmings and symbols, the mocha skinned man turned towards the teens, his mere essence filling them with goose bumps. Wendy was amazed as this person had flowing hair (both on head and facial) that was a deeper and darker red than her own! She thought to herself, "It's like…his hair was made _of fire itself_!" The man's yellow tinted eyes, almost seemingly glowing, burnt through the mind of the frightened fifteen year old. Wendy had to force herself to turn away from the eerie man; it almost felt like she _was losing herself_ while in his gaze…

Dipper could feel Wendy pressing down once more on his shoulder. Despite the fear growing in _his own heart_, he attempted to calm his crush towering over him by placing his tiny hand over hers. He hoped that the slight gesture would give her the support that she desired. He overlooked the menacing figure standing before him. Dipper couldn't quite put his finger on it, but this person seemed _awfully familiar_, but not from his experiences with Wendy at the Gravity Falls Arcade; this figure brought back fuzzy memories of his home in Piedmont. As he tried to clear his cloudy mind, the man began to address both teenagers in a surprising soothing voice,

"Child…what is it that you fear?"

Dipper raised an eyebrow to his question.

"These paths; these tribulations are meant to be. It is your destiny; your fate for these things to come to pass…" The man drew out a cloaked covered hand, with palm outward,

"Come, child…let us fulfill _our_ destinies together…"

Dipper was left in a state of confusion. He asked himself, "_Who is this guy talking to_? _What is he trying to do_?" His questions were quickly answered as he shortly sensed Wendy remove her hand slowly from his shoulder.

"WENDY!" gasped Dipper, as his vision shot up to meet his crush. Her emerald eyes were replaced with the same hue of yellow in which belonging to the dark clothed man. Her freckled-dimpled smiling face was forcibly removed, leaving only a still-faced stupor. Wendy gently pressed pass the panicking teenager, gradually making her way towards the villain waiting with open arms.

Determined, Dipper took back the dainty hand that had left him. He pleaded to Wendy, who was unknowingly walking towards her doom,

"WENDY! WAKE UP, WENDY! PLEASE!

Suddenly, the man raised his hand and swung it across his being. "Be gone, whelp!"

Dipper was instantly flung away from Wendy's side and across the arena. Dipper landed hard, face first. He thought to himself, "_Was that telekinesis_?" Caring less about his scrapes and bruises, Dipper was quickly back on his feet and headed towards his hypnotized companion. He ran behind her, taking both of her hands onto his, and began to try to yank her back while digging his heels into the ground.

"PLEASE, WENDY! DON'T! DO! THIS! STOP, PLEASE!"

While Dipper couldn't see in front of him, due to Wendy's tall frame, he could hear the robed figure beckoning to her once more,

"My dear; if you would be so kind…"

With that, Wendy lifted her arms, taking Dipper with them. Holding the small teen overhead, Wendy threw him back into the ground in front of her, making him cry out in agony! As she went to step over the boy, he latched on Wendy's booted ankles in an effort to bog her down. Nonchalantly, the lanky teen kicked herself free, still resolute in unconsciously reaching her goal.

With his last ounce of strength, Dipper forced himself up, and threw himself in front of the runaway teen. He held his hands up, trying to push against Wendy, who was _mere feet_ away from the mysterious hypnotist,

"WEN - *HUFF* - _MY WENDY_, PLEASE! CAN'T YOU HEAR ME? IT'S ME, YOUR DIPPING -* ACK*!"

Before Dipper could even finish his plea, a strange sensation came over him. It felt as if there were _invisible fingers_ tightly clamping down on his throat! Abruptly, the same force launched the boy into the air. Dipper soon found himself hovering in front of the wicked man trying to lure Wendy away. Floating face-to-face, the being addressed Dipper, the almost-lullaby tone gone from his voice,

"Such tenaciousness from one so young and small…" Dipper glared rebelliously at the sneering rogue. He continued on, "I can sense the gifts of _wisdom_ and _courage_ flowing through your veins; however, you lack the one trait that _truly matters_ in this, yet any world…"

With that, Dipper felt the grip on his neck press harder. The scoundrel uttered his answer through gritted teeth: "_POWER_!" With a flick of his wrist, the man rotated the boy, making him face the brainwashed girl. Dipper could do nothing but look as Wendy stood as if she was (once again) empty inside. The only sign of life were her golden glowing eyes; mere copies of the ones belonging to the monstrous being holding both teens hostage. The man began to talk onto Dipper yet again,

"Look at her…" he ordered. Dipper continued to stare helplessly at his crush with a heavy heart. "Does it depress you…" the rogue mocked. "…of how _alone you really are_?"

Dipper forced himself to stammer a response, "I'm….I'm not alone!"

Dipper heard a chuckle coming from behind his back. "Don't be a fool! She's gone! Her mind was so easily conquered. Such a warm and inviting personality; just so trusting. Her spirit was essentially a "Welcome Mat" to the glorious energy flowing throughout her frame…"

Dipper, still totally immobilized, began to panic. He had only one option left.

"_Please_…" Dipper pleaded. "Don't…just don't take _her_, _please_…" He took a deep gulp to prepare for his next statement. "_Take me instead_; _drain my essence_! _Don't hurt my Wendy_, _please_!"

Dipper closed his eyes in defeat, only to hear deep, bellowing laughter. He was immediately turned around to face the robed enemy.

"_You_?!" he laughed at the small teen. "Comparing you, mere boy, to her would be like contrasting a bitter lemon to extra-sweetened candy. " He pulled Dipper closer, "Your paranoia; your suspicious nature betrays you. Of course, such a thing can be an advantage. It is that strong will that allows you to fight my control, unlike your lady friend there…"

Dipper turned to see the man extend a hand towards the dazed Wendy.

"...but what cost does one gain such an instinct?" Dipper raised an eyebrow at the man's suggestion.

"A life filled with misery? A life containing only solitude and loneliness? A life devoid of _anything_ but sorrow and regret? It is such things that reveal what you really are at heart: _weak_ and _powerless_!"

Dipper lowered his eyes and whispered to the foe holding him telepathically in midair, "Well, _she_ doesn't think so!"

"Hmm...good point! Though, in a few minutes, _that_ will never be a concern to you again."

The dark villain began to whisper to Dipper, with a wicked smirk spread throughout his face.

"If it's any consolation to you, I can hear her; that is, the real "_her_" trapped inside of her own mind. And what's the only thing the poor girl is doing while being locked so far away? _She is screaming your name_!"

With that, Dipper immediately saw red, and began to struggle, desperate to break free of this binding curse. "You'll pay for _that_, you son-of-a-"

"_Enough_!" the man interrupted. "I grow weary of this!"

With that, he flicked his hand away, sending Dipper away from the scene…and straight into one of the concrete walls of the structures nearby! Dipper shrieked as he hit the wall at top speed!

The small teen moaned as he fell on his back. Pain shot through every inch of his nearly-broken body! As Dipper began to dwindle into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw was the shadowy figure, _with Wendy in tow_, walking past and into the illuminated tunnel from where Rumble originally entered. The sinister being whispered to the teenage girl,

"Come, my child. Say "good-bye" to your young friend. I'm _afraid_ he won't be joining us…"

Dipper, using the last of his strength, glanced up to see Wendy standing over him, her golden, hypnotized eyes staring straight into his soul. As she was commanded, Wendy spoke to Dipper in an emotionless, monotone manner:

"Good…Bye…"

Dipper lowered his head, his whole world quickly fading to black. The sounds of footsteps fading further and further away echoed through his mind…

Amongst the darkness of the dreamscape, a vision flashed through the unconscious mind of Dipper Pines. Unlike his most recent dreams involving the various oddities and monstrosities of Gravity Falls (with Wendy mixed in, of course), this particular one offered a nostalgic window to the past; rather Dipper's _video gaming past_.

He dreamt of one of the first games he played as a little kid. Sitting on an ugly shag carpet while parked in front of a giant round-tubed television, Dipper reached over and switched on the button to power the gaming console. A tiny, non-braced Mabel sat behind him, clutching her favorite dolly, anxious to watch his virtual adventures on-screen. With a smile stretching from ear to ear and small brown eyes beaming, Dipper loaded his previous save from his favorite game, _Legends & Fables_. Dipper adored the game, for it allowed him to do several things that he would _never_ be possible from the safe haven of Piedmont. Within this cybernetic scenario, Dipper was able to explore and discover new and strange lands, fight bizarre and exotic monsters, and save a gorgeous red-headed princess (not a _damsel in distress, _but a strong and courageous young woman whom sacrificed her well-being for the greater good) from a treacherous king of thieves, whose quest for power could never be quenched.

Under the guise of the elfin boy on-screen, Dipper could be considered a fearless adventurer; a clever explorer; a cunning warrior; a revered champion. All in all, such things that would brand him a true hero; things that he secretly wished that he could be in real life, one day…

Dipper awoke from his vision, still in horrid pain, but yet, somewhat enlighten. He had forgotten this particular aspect from childhood; one in which could easily explain where a lot of his more obvious traits stem from. He thought to himself,

"_I AM_ a lot of those things when you think about it. I love to explore unfamiliar territory. I enjoy solving forgotten and challenging mysteries. When my back is against the wall, I can dish it out as well as I can take it…"

Dipper stopped as he came to the final part, for who would ever consider him to be any sort of champion? He reflected back on the dark wizard's taunts. He was correct in saying Dipper's "unique" personality made him more enemies and rivals than it did friends. As his thoughts turned to despair, a shining beacon popped into his consciousness. The image of Wendy's smiling, freckled, dimpled face glowed brightly. He then recalled Robbie's jealousy, of how Dipper was "_Wendy's little hero_."

Upon this recollection, Dipper jumped back to his feet revitalized. It was Wendy's faith in _him_ that made all of these things real! Even if the whole world thought him insane and feeble, for as long as one person _truly believed in him_ (coincidentally, the person whom he loved with all of his heart), does it not make said claim true?

Dipper turned the corner to the pathway where he previously watched the robed man walk away with Wendy in arm. A white portal flowed at the end of the corridor. Without a second thought, Dipper took a running jump into the void, caring less what awaited him on the other side.

Rushing through the blinding light, Dipper cried out as he tripped over a sturdy object placed in his path. Dipper switched back and forth between rubbing his eyes and his injured knee. Upon regaining his vision, he glanced to see that he had fallen over a huge treasure chest.

Dipper stood up to view the new world surrounding him. Ironically, to Dipper, it was anything but new. He looked from top to bottom at the strange grey bricked room that he had walked into. Several torches hung decoratively throughout the chamber kept it well lit. He had seen the all-so familiar locked doors in every direction, labeled with a simple key-shaped marking. The only passage out of the room was a giant ladder leading to an outside tower. Dipper nodded his head as his observations confirmed his suspicions.

He was no longer in the worlds created by the Gravity Falls Arcade; he was now in the realm of _Legends & Fables!_ While his inner-fan boy wanted to squeal with delight, Dipper forced himself to be calm. Wendy's life was still at stake!

Immediately, Dipper turned back to the treasure chest he stumbled upon earlier. With a swift kick, the top flipped open. Dipper dove to his knees and began to search through the contents inside.

"Let's see what we have here…um…magical boomerang, nah… grapple shot…no, Mabel has one of those already…hmm…bow and arrow combo…nope, I have terrible aim…a-ha! Here we go!"

At the bottom of the incredibly deep chest lied a jeweled encrusted sword with a mirror layered shield. As Dipper's hand approached the shiny blade, it began to glow excitedly, as if it _recognized_ him! Still a tad unsteady, Dipper firmly grabbed the sword's handle, and raised it above his head, analyzing it from every angle. All of a sudden, a wave of multi-colored pixels began to flow throughout his body. Dipper closed his eyes to avoid the wave of brighten colors. A few seconds later, Dipper peeked to see what had just happened.

Dipper looked down to see that his shirt, vest, short pants, and sneakers were quickly replaced! Instead, he was now donning a dark blue chain mail with orange sleeves. The same combination was found on his pants as well. A pair of comfy, yet sturdy brown boots appeared in place of his black sneakers. The outfit was topped off with a simple blue stocking cap on his head.

Dipper stood in amazement of what had just occurred. It was the same thing that happened to Wendy in the last world! He shook his head to clear his mind and refocus. Dipper quickly went back into the chest and pulled out the matching shield. He slid his arm into the straps behind the protection, firmly latching the shield to his left hand.

Now properly equipped, Dipper began to hurry up the extended ladder with haste. Halfway up, Dipper was hit was a shocking premonition. The words of the twisted _Slaughterhouse_ mask came back to haunt him. It originally blamed Dipper for Wendy's predicament, saying that it was _his_ wish that caused this catastrophe. But, what if it wasn't referring to the wish that he made earlier upon the birthday cake at the Arcade, with Wendy gently humming overhead? What if it was the _younger_ Dipper, wishing and hoping to one day be the same adventurer/explorer/rescuer that his virtual avatar was, _that made all of this happen_? Even though Dipper had just recalled the memory, the mask claimed that through his bond with the young teen, it could see into his inner psyche.

Was the wicked relic correct all along? Were Wendy's constant plights all truly _Dipper's fault_?

Once more, Dipper shook the obstructions from his mind. This wasn't the time or the place to feel held down by huge amounts of guilt. Dipper thought to himself,

"If anything, this _is_ the perfect time to prove to my inner-5-year-old that _I can be everything_ that he had dreamed of. After all, there is a bad guy _just asking_ to be put in place, and more importantly, _I have a princess still waiting to be saved!_"

As Dipper finally made it to the top platform, he could see a surreal blue skyline that seemed to stretch on to infinity! He carefully peered over the edge of the platform to see that he was on some form of ancient tower up hundreds upon hundreds of feet in the air. Dipper looked ahead to see that the platform was actually a form of altar. The flooring with filled with various symbols and carvings. Almost every edge had a form of pillar or arched structure, complete with the same aforementioned markings. It was at the other end of the platform that Dipper viewed his robed nemesis, his back facing the young teen. As Dipper took a single step forward, the gruff voice addressed him once again:

"Your defiance is becoming quite annoying, lad!"

Dipper took another step, raising his sword and shield higher.

"Are you the King of Thieves?" Dipper asked. "The powerful sorcerer whose treacherous thirsts can never be quenched?"

The villain laughed heartedly at the teen's description, "My, what a colorful way of asking, but yes, I am one and the same!"

Dipper recoiled at the confirmation. The same monster that plagued his virtual fantasies as a young boy was now the last obstacle separating him from Wendy. A feeling of dread shortly crept through Dipper's psyche; he just remembered that despite his hundreds of gaming-related adventures as a child, _THIS was the one enemy he was never able to defeat…_

Dipper began to question again, "If you are who are say you are, what do you want with Wendy? And how does Rumble fit into this?"

The King of Thieves turned around to face Dipper. His sneer was wiped out his face upon seeing Dipper's new outfit.

"In what seems like mere years in the real world are actually millennia in this world. Thousands of years locked away in the exact same world; everything remains unchanged, day after day after day. Recently, rumblings spread throughout the "console universe" of a digital character being released from the "arcade realm" into the real world for a short period of time by some buffoon…"

Dipper frowned, knowing the truth _that he was said buffoon_.

"…I watched from a distance, waiting for the karate fool to organize a petty quest for vengeance. _Against mere children, nonetheless_! After all the pieces fell into place, I crossed over and stepped in at the last moment, and relieved that fool of the true potential of his plan!"

"_True potential_?" Dipper asked. After a moment or two, it finally struck Dipper.

"This isn't around _Wendy or me_, is it? It's around your never-ending greed! You just want another world to conquer!"

The wizard stepped to the side, to reveal an unconscious Wendy fitted into one of the structures on the back end of the platform. While Dipper noticed (and was relieved) that Wendy wasn't injured, he had seen that her clothing had changed once more. Wendy was now dressed in a light pink long-flowing dress decorated with gold trimmings. She wore golden jewelry around her neck, beltline, and wrists. Wendy's trademark brown boots remained the same, except ironically, they were _actually clean_ for once! Perhaps the most dramatic change that Wendy endured was that there was a long red braid on each side of her face.

"Beautiful, isn't she? She seems pristine, like a porcelain doll. And yet, behind that all those adorable traits, lies a strength that nearly rivals my own…" The sorcerer raised a hand towards the insentient girl when Dipper interrupted,

"If you DARE touch one hair on her head…"

The villain turned to see the teen's sword glowing bright, seemingly amplified by his growing rage. He laughed at Dipper's threat, "My boy, you're speaking as if _you actually stand a chance_…" The man continued, walking towards Dipper menacingly. "In fact, I think I'll do one better; I'll destroy you without lifting a finger!"

With that, Dipper watched as the hulking figure transformed into a wave of floating pixel blocks. Unlike that the forms that transformed both Wendy and Dipper, this mass was completely devoid of color, remaining shades of black and white. Dipper raised his shield, preparing for the upcoming blow, but all of a sudden, he watched in horror as the form changed direction – towards Wendy!

Dipper immediately ran towards the gingered teenager, still out-cold from her experience. He threw himself in front of Wendy, raising his shield as high as he could. Dipper knew that because of the difference in height, he may not make the best human barrier, but he had to try to protect Wendy from whatever was coming next. Dipper braced himself as he watched the black pixels point themselves in the direction of the two teens. As they began to launch, Dipper closed his eyes, hoping that his efforts would be enough.

After a moment or two of silence, Dipper opened his eyes. Both the villain and his transformed form had vanished from sight. He turned back toward Wendy. Standing on his tip-toes, he analyzed the redheaded teenager from top to bottom to ensure she was free of harm. As Dipper looked back towards Wendy's face, her eyes shot open! Dipper jumped back in surprise as he seen a pair of glowing yellow eyes in lieu of his favorite emerald green ones.

A horrible, haunting laugh came from deep within Wendy's lungs. Goosebumps formed across the teen's flesh as the charming giggles he had fallen in love with had completely vanished! Dipper recognized the evil laugh coming from Wendy's lips as the one belonging to the wicked king!

The young hero began to backpedal a bit as the possessed Wendy hopped off the ledge she was placed upon. However, he stared in shock as she never reached the floor. Dipper could do nothing but look as Wendy floated several feet off the ground, an ominous purple aura surrounding her dainty frame.

"Wendy?" called Dipper, his eyes wide open in fright.

Suddenly, the teenage girl pointed a finger at the armed boy. He watched as a light stemming from Wendy's finger began to grow larger into the shape of a huge energy ball. Within an instance, she cried out (in the dark man's tone) and launched the projectile at her young friend.

Dipper, fighting his bewilderment, was able to dive out of harm's way. Dipper forced himself to his feet to see the redhead hovering in circles overhead. He looked up to see that Wendy was raising both of her arms towards the sky. Dipper raised an eye to his crush's action. Suddenly, the ground beneath Dipper's boots began to glow brightly. Without a second thought, Dipper leapt from the spot. He turned around to see that golden jagged spikes had risen up from the ground, just barely missing their mark.

Dipper elevated his head to the sky once more, only to discover that Wendy had vanished from the sky! His eyes shot around the arena. "_Where is she_?" Dipper worried to himself. He thought about Wendy's fate: trapped inside of her own body, forced to fight someone she held dear to her heart. It must be a living nightmare! Regardless, Dipper knew he _had_ to try to reach his secret love that was locked away.

"WENDY! " Dipper shouted, making sure that his voice echoed throughout the platform. "Please, Wendy, you gotta fight it! Don't let _him_ win, please!"

Dipper spun around in circles, desperate for a mere glimpse of his favorite redhead. Out of nowhere, Wendy dove in, speeding like a bullet, and struck the distracted teen. Dipper was knocked off his feet, and was sent soaring across the floor. The young boy panicked as he stopped inches away from the edge. He glanced back up to see Wendy, arms crossed, and continuing to mock him in the evil King's voice. Still struggling to regain his balance, Dipper looked back up to see another energy ball flying straight at his head!

Without thinking, Dipper swung his sword, frantically trying _anything_ to defend himself. Turning from gold into a bluish tint, the bolt flew across the stage. In astonishment, Dipper looked at the sword, as it began to pulsate bright blue continuously. "Wait…" he thought to himself. "The blade is able deflect the evil energy?" An idea went off in the back of Dipper's mind.

He looked to see another bolt growing in the hand of his gingered sweetheart. He braced himself for the forthcoming blow. Dipper aimed the sword carefully as Wendy let go of the energy ball. As the flame was just about to hit the teen, Dipper swung the glowing blade, reflecting a blue bolt back towards Wendy.

"I hope this works…"

Dipper watched as the redhead's eyes shot wide open. As the flame struck her, her purple aura was quickly engulfed by a blue one. As Dipper almost started to celebrate, the next sound he heard nearly brought him to his knees.

Wendy was crying out in anguish! However, it wasn't the King's voice screaming; it was _Wendy's real voice blaring in pain_!

Dipper raised his hands to his face, "OHNOOHNOOHNO! What did I just do?!" Dipper was faced with a serious dilemma. How could defend himself without injuring Wendy? More importantly, how was he going to free her from the wizard's control?

As Dipper glanced around for an answer, his eyes locked on a new disturbance in the arena. In the middle of the altar platform stood the evil King, hutched over with head lowered, and robed arms together.

"YOU!" Dipper screamed, rushing the villain with sword raised. Dipper ran his sword past the treacherous rogue…only to have it go through his being!

"Wha?!" Dipper gasped. Determined, he continued to try to strike down his foe, only to fail. He took a step back. Dipper thought to himself, "It's like attacking a ghost or cutting through mist; almost like he's on a totally different wavelength…" Dipper lost himself in his own words, for he thought of the only possible way of releasing Wendy.

Dipper shouted out to the floating possessed teenager, "Hey, hot shot! Think you can actually try to hit me with something today?!"

Wendy smirked devilishly, raising her hand to create another glowing bolt. Dipper readied his aim, hoping that this idea, _his last and only hope_, would work flawlessly. With another deep grunt, the lanky girl launched a golden bolt right at Dipper. Quickly, he sidestepped the projectile and used the sword to deflect the shot towards the transparent form of his foe. Dipper almost roared with glee as he watched the shape become solid once more, and revolt back in pain. He could see that his enemy had frozen in a form of shock.

Suddenly, Dipper's thoughts turned to Wendy. Was she alright? He looked up to see her falling from the sky! Dropping his sword, Dipper ran ferociously hoping to catch Wendy before she hit the ground. As he stood underneath the descending pink clothed girl with open arms, Dipper had a horrifying thought,

"Wait... she's _almost three times_ my size!"

*CRASH*

Wendy sat up, feeling as if she had been asleep for a long time. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she froze in the moment, for she came to a realization,

"Hey! I can move again!"

A smile spread through her face as look down to test the limits of her newly-freed body. Wendy giggled to herself as she wiggled her fingers and flexed her toes. As the moments passed, Wendy began to recall the last few minutes. A wave of anxiety, similar to that of claustrophobia, rushed through the teen's heart.

Wendy remembered watching the previous events unfold through the perspective of her eyes, yet, something was terribly wrong. She couldn't move; she couldn't blink; she could barely control her own breathing. Out of all the strange visions flying through her mind's eye, the one picture that Wendy just couldn't shake was that of looking down at Dipper from an incredible height. The expression on his face was that showing extreme worry and fear.

"Dipper!" Wendy regained focus, and looked around for her friend. "Where was he?" she asked herself, panicked. After everything that the young teen had done for her, Wendy had no intent on losing Dipper so easily. The two had planned on making a whole summer's worth of memories, and Wendy was going to make sure that it stayed that way!

All of a sudden, Wendy felt something squirming beneath the light pink dress she was wearing. Between each struggle, Wendy could make out loud muffles. Curious, she lifted the side of her dress to see that she was on top of a very squished Dipper.

"DIPPER!" Wendy exclaimed. "There you are!"

*WEEZE* ….Wendy…*WEEZE*

"Yes, 'Dipping Sauce'?"

"Please…get…off…."

"OH!" she cried out, immediately jumping off the crushed boy. Dipper let out a huge sigh of relief. Wendy reached for Dipper's hands and helped him to his feet. Wendy quickly embraced her small champion to which he did the same. Wendy pulled back and placed her cool hand against Dipper's flushed cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Dipper. I didn't know! Are you alright?!

"…I'll…live…" he mumbled, struggling to catch his breath. "How…about…you?"

"I'm fine. It was so weird, Dipper; I was there, _but I really wasn't_. I was _so_ scared…

"Well, that makes two of us, then…"

Wendy raised an eyebrow to Dipper's suggestion.

"I…I thought that I lost you again…"

As a heart-warmed smile spread across Wendy's blushing face, a voice came from the center of the arena.

"How touching…"

Wendy and Dipper turned to face the beckoning voice. The wicked King had returned to consciousness. He stared at the two teens with completely shocked faces. He raised his hand, displaying an evil smile,

"Do not worry, children. Please, finish your tender moment. After all, you are _only delaying the inevitable_. We will continue "_playing_" as soon as you are ready…"

Dipper let go of Wendy and quickly bent down to retrieve his sword. Enraged, he began to charge towards the mocking enemy until he was stopped in his tracks.

"Dipper, wait!"

The boy immediately came to his senses and turned towards the source of the sound. Wendy had called out to him, but why? Was this monster trying to take control of her again?

Without a second's delay, Dipper ran back to his crush's side, "What's wrong?! Are you feeling alright?" In his nervousness, he began to examine his friend from head to toe in search of any oddities.

"No, I'm fine," Wendy explained. "...but that's the thing, Dipper. Why are _you_ doing this? Why are _we_ still doing this?"

Dipper looked at Wendy with a confused expression on his face, "I...I don't understand..."

Wendy bent down to meet the boy eye-to-eye. "Dipper...I don't want you to fight anymore..."

Somewhat shocked, Dipper turned away from Wendy's shining green eyes, "You...you think I can't win, don't you?"

"_No_!" Wendy immediately interrupted, placing her hands on the teen's shoulder. "No, no, no, no! It's not like that!"

Wendy rolled her eyes, trying to find the words to express her feelings to Dipper without offending him. A moment later, she began once more:

"Dipper...why did you do all of this? Why risk life and limb through these dangerous worlds?"

The costumed hero looked down as he thought of an answer. Wendy could tell that he found one, as his pale cheeks quickly became a rosy red.

"_For you_..." Dipper whispered to the girl in front of him. "I did all of this for _you_..."

Wendy smiled deeply at his response. "I know that..." She gently placed her hand against his blushed face, making Dipper redden even more. "That's just it, Dipper. You don't have to do _this _anymore, because I'm here..._I'm right here_...and_ I'm okay now_..."

The lanky teenage girl could tell she was making headway as she seen tears forming in the dark, brown eyes in front of her.

"...and all I want is to go back home...with you..._please_?"

As Dipper became lost in the sparkling, yet pleading emerald eyes staring back at him, a sinister voice shattered the moment,

"You can't be serious?!"

Dipper shot an infuriated look at the villain trying to egg him on, but instantly returned his attention towards his secret love. He offered a tiny smile to Wendy to show that he understood.

"O-Okay, then...let's go home!"

"Really?"

"Wendy, there isn't _anything_ I would want more..."

Relieved, Wendy nodded and rose back to her feet. Together, the two teens began to head towards the exit leading back down the tower. In a state of shock, the wizard called after the duo,

"Where do you two think you're going?! We aren't finished yet!"

Dipper stopped and turned to face the monstrous entity. "Sorry, man! Like the lady said, _this game is over with! _He rejoined Wendy a split second later.

Unimpressed, the evil king crossed his robed arms and laughed at Dipper's remark. "Fine, boy! But before you go, know this!"

As he walked away, Dipper peeked over his shoulder. To his horror, he realized that the wicked man was pointing straight at Wendy!

"_N__o matter where she goes or wherever she is_, _every time she comes into contact with a video game, a television, a computer, or even a cell phone; we'll be there, watching and waiting, until one day, she disappears into nothingness, just like that!_"

With that, both adolescents had stopped in their tracks, returning their focus on the awaiting nemesis. Dipper glanced towards the smiling adversary, then looked up towards Wendy. She was staring out into the distance, obviously troubled by the man's threats. Dipper observed that he had seen that exact expression from Wendy before; it was the same as when he smashed the evil mirror doppelgangers while donning the _Slaughterhouse_ mask.

It was a look of absolute _terror_ and _fear_; one that Dipper had hoped that he would never see spread across his friend's face again.

Dipper took a deep gulp as he contemplated the task at hand. He was going to have to break Wendy's heart, but he couldn't -no - he _wouldn't_ allow these things to take her away a second time!

He noticed that he and Wendy were on the end of the platform with the ladder leading back down to the tower's base. He reached for Wendy's hand with his free one,

"Wendy, you need to run, NOW!" Dipper pointed to the nearby ladder.

She stood in defiance of the newly-christened teen, "Dude, are you kidding me?! I'm _NOT_ going anywhere! Remember what I told you earlier? _We're_ in this together!"

Dipper frowned at her resistance, "I know, Wendy, but you gotta remember something. "They" don't want me; they only want YOU!"

Dipper watched as Wendy's face lighten. He squeezed her hand tighter.

"Please, Wendy; listen to reason. Yeah, there is no place I'd rather be than _by your side_, but all this world has to do to win is take you away again."

Dipper could easily see by Wendy's expression, standing with eyes closed, head slightly turned, and arms crossed, that she wasn't moving an inch. He tried a different approach.

"Wendy, is what Robbie said earlier true?"

The young girl opened an eye to the small teen addressing her, "Which part?"

"The part where I'm supposedly your "_little hero_?" Dipper bragged with a smirk.

The angry redhead's dimpled cheeks began to blush, "Perhaps…"

"So, is it fair to say you have faith in me?"

"I think you already know the answer to that…"

"Yeah, I do know, but I'm trying to prove a point!"

The arguing boy turned Wendy back towards him, "If that's who you say I am, then, let me do my job! The best way you can help me is by staying out of harm's way…"

Wendy opened her eyes, to see Dipper's brown eyes beaming straight at her, his hands in hers. He whispered to her, "_Your life is worth too much to risk_…" The teenager sighed, knowing that she was no match for a "puppy-dog-stare."

"Fine…" Wendy grumbled, heading towards the ladder. As she began to lower herself down, she jumped up and pointed at Dipper, "You got ten minutes, kid! After that, I'm coming back up, no matter what!"

Dipper nodded and smiled. He watched as his secret love safely climbed down to the ground floor. Dipper felt bad to resort to such low measures to sway Wendy's mindset, but at the end of the day, he'd rather she think he was somewhat of a sexist pig than to chance losing her forever. Besides, how could he guarantee Wendy's well-being when he couldn't assure _his own_?

He turned around to his awaiting foe. The villain chuckled under his breath, "So, where were we?"

Dipper started to walk towards the evil King, "I believe we left the score at '1-1.'"

"Unfortunately for you, kid, I'm not one for tie games!"

Dipper readied his sword and shield, "Neither am I…"

Suddenly, the sorcerer disappeared into thin air. He glanced around the altar arena, to see that the foe had reappeared to his left, somewhat closer. As Dipper turned and raised his weapons, the enemy vanished once more. Dipper's eyes scanned the platform. "What is this?" the pint-sized teen asked himself. As he turned back from his right, Dipper looked forward to see the wicked King materialize right in front of him! Before Dipper could react, he was given a devastating left and right cross, knocking him on the ground. Dipper was so pummeled that he had accidentally dropped his weaponry!

The wicked figure picked Dipper up by the throat and held him face to face. The wizard bragged, "I'm afraid, dear lad, this is _game over_!" He held his other hand back, preparing to strike Dipper with the final blow. Dipper closed his eyes, waiting for the end, until a voice boomed throughout the arena:

"HEY, UGLY! PUT HIM DOWN!"

Dipper opened his eyes to see a red streak fly across the room, striking his robed nemesis. Dipper looked on to see fire spread across his opponent's wardrobe. In a panic, the King dropped the stunned boy, and attempted to pat out the raging inferno spreading throughout his cloth-covered body. In the meantime, Dipper reequipped his arsenal and looked to where his saving grace came from.

At the edge of the platform, he found Wendy, with a bow and arrow combo in hand. With an enraged expression on her face, she shouted to her evil pursuer,

"NO ONE DOES _THAT_ TO "_MY BOY"_! YOU GOT THAT?!"

With that, Wendy shot another arrow at the hulking rogue, igniting another set of flames upon his body. The King dropped to his knees in agony. Using her distraction as cover, Dipper ran over to his lanky friend.

"So, _ten minutes_, huh?"

Wendy glanced down at him with a smile, "Gee, Dipper. You have a _really funny way_ of saying, '_Der, thanks for saving my bacon, Wendy_!'"

Dipper continued to stare daggers at his companion.

"So, I lied! Yeah, I generally tend to do that over _matters of complete and utter nonsense_, or _when a certain someone_ is trying to pull the wool over my eyes!

Embarrassed, Dipper broke eye contact and stared down at the ground. Wendy could barely make out Dipper grumbling under his breath. She raised her eyes at the young teen, "Sorry, I couldn't make that out..." Wendy slightly bent down with a devious grin, and used a hand to cup her ear. "You'll have to speak up…"

Dipper rolled his eyes at his sarcastic love interest. He then repeated his words using a very monotone and wooden voice,

"Thank you for saving me, Wendy…"

Wendy resumed standing upright. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She reached over gently punched his shoulder. Wendy quickly reached behind her back to pull out a huge smorgasbord of weapons.

"Check it out!" Wendy said, displaying her discoveries. "I found a bunch of cool stuff in some trunk at the bottom of this tower. Dipper seen that Wendy was now clutching the blue boomerang he had discovered earlier.

Wendy turned towards their opponent, whom was nearly done extinguishing the flames inflicted upon him, and hurdled the weapon straight at him. He ducked out of the path of the projectile, raising up to mock the young teen, "HA! You missed, wretched wench!"

Wendy looked at Dipper and pointed into the distance with a sly smile, "Watch this…"

Both teens watched as the blue boomerang came flying back, cracking the back of the gloating scoundrel's head and landing back in the awaiting redhead's hand. Wendy spun around to Dipper, wearing a tooth-filled grin, "Cool, huh?"

Dipper laughed at Wendy's amusement. He thought to himself, "Maybe I was wrong for being so over-protective…" His musings were interrupted by a tremendous roar. The two teens turned towards the center of the room to see the wicked sorcerer revived, with a glowing red aura surrounding him.

"CHILDREN!" the monstrous being bellowed. "I! WILL! NOT! BE! BESTED! BY! MERE! CHILDREN!"

Wendy rearmed herself with the bow and arrow combo. Dipper once more stepped in front of Wendy, having his sword and shield readied.

"Fine; _you two_ want to do this the hard way?" The man stretched his arms out, only to have a saber magically appear in each hand. He gave off a horrific grin,

"…I'll be more than happy to oblige!"

Within seconds, the evil King rushed towards the duo. Wendy yelled to Dipper, "SPLIT UP!" Dipper ran to the left of the arena, while Wendy hustled to the right. Dipper turned around to see the hulking figure rushed towards him! As the man began to swing his blades at Dipper, the boy quickly raised his mirror shield to deflect the blows. The hits were so massive and heavy, the teen was nearly knocked down to his knees with every shot.

"This is hopeless…" Dipper thought. "I can't even get a chance to counter-attack!"

From behind the safety of his shield, Dipper heard the cry of the villain once more. He lowered his shield to see the wizard back onto his knees. Dipper looked behind him to see Wendy still holding her bow, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Hurry, Dipper! I stunned him! Now's your chance!"

Dipper raised his sword skyward, filling it with glowing blue energy. The small hero rushed towards the stunned foe and began to jab the blade through. Dipper remembered that there wasn't any mention of blood in this gaming world, yet he could easily see markings of his attacks. The King's robe was becoming more tattered with every blow.

As Dipper continued to swipe, he was interrupted as the sorcerer gathered enough strength to grab the damaging blade in mid-swing! Dipper froze as the yellow, glowing eyes gazed into his soft brown ones.

"You'll pay dearly for that, boy!"

The wicked foe continued to close in on Dipper, when out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen another red bolt shooting straight at him. The villain incredibly leapt into the air, successfully dodging the attack, only to land in front of its source. Shocked, yet determined, Wendy bit her lip as she quickly tried to ready another arrow.

"Insolent girl!" the King bellowed. "That is enough of _that_!" With a wave of his arm, a saber retracted back into his sleeve. He raised his bare hand and delivered such a tremendous backhand that sent the gingered teenager _flying_ across the arena!"

Upon hearing Wendy's shriek, Dipper immediately rushed into a rage, seeing pure red. His enemy turned, with both sabers extended and met the boy's attack. Dipper swung with increasing velocity, a series of sparks marking the sky to where the three blades met. As the towering wizard began his assault, Dipper dodged, rolling over to his foe's unprotected backside. He immediately pounced, slashing deeply and quickly bringing the adversary back onto his knees.

Stunning the monster once more, Dipper swiftly flew to Wendy, who remained sprawled on the ground. He called to her, trying to help her back to her feet. Wendy, a bit dazed, looked up at the little hero, who stood before her with an extremely worried and concerned expression on his face. Fighting her way through the pain, Wendy looked up with a smile, and winked at her friend. Exactly as Wendy planned, Dipper returned the smile and sighed in relief. Wendy pulled him closer,

"Dipper, I think I know how we can beat him. I just have to get a direct shot on him!"

"How are we going to do that?"

Wendy glanced down at the mirrored shield Dipper had latched his arm. "Your shield…" she quickly explained. "We can use it to reflect one of my arrows straight at him!"

"Is that really going to wo-"

Dipper looked up to see the emerald eyes he loved so beaming down at him. Wendy trusted him all of her heart, so shouldn't he do the same? "Okay…" he nodded in agreement. "I got it…"

Dipper noticed that Wendy's point of view quickly changed to the King on the other side of the arena, whom was starting to rise once again. Wendy whispered to him, "Give me a clear shot, Dipper. _We can do this_!"

He ran in front of the ascending sorcerer. Dipper had to make sure that he lured the enemy away from Wendy; at least long enough for her to carry out her plan. He stood at the edge of the platform, calling out his nemesis,

"Was that everything you got? How's it feel to have your butt handed to you by someone a quarter your size?"

Dipper looked to see that the King's eyes had changed from gold to blood red! His voice became deeper and raspier,

"_THAT_ will be your last mistake!" As the menace raised both sabers above his head, Dipper heard a shout from the other side of the altar platform:

"DIPPER! NOW!"

Dipper drew his shield and hid behind it. The villain turned his head to see another red shot speed past his side. He watched as the arrow shot off the young teen's reflective shield…straight into his own chest!

"AARRGGGHHH!"

Dipper watched as a form of electrical aura engulfed the stunned scoundrel. Dipper looked around to find Wendy,

"Okay, Wendy. What should I do now?"

She was nowhere to be seen. Dipper was beginning to panic a bit.

"Wendy! What now?!"

Still, Dipper heard nothing in response. He glanced forward to see that the aura was quickly fading. The dark antagonist opened his eyes once more…

"WENDY?!"

Suddenly, Dipper could feel himself being hoisted into the air from behind. He looked down to see that Wendy held his little frame over her head.

He gasped, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Wendy grinned back at the frantic teen, "Get ready, slugger! You're only going to get ONE shot!"

Without any effort, as if the boy was a mere rag doll, Wendy threw Dipper into the air, into the path of the stunned adversary. Revived, the King looked up to see the incoming blue blur. He roared and readied his blades. Falling at an incredible speed, Dipper perceived the sight below, thrust his sword downwards, and closed his eyes.

As the two met, a huge white light shined throughout the arena, forcing Wendy to cover her eyes. A ghastly groan echoed throughout the atmosphere! A moment later, she peeked through her fingers to see an incredible sight.

Dipper stood on top the evil King's shoulders, with the glowing blue sword impaled through his skull! He watched as the glowing yellow disappeared from his opponent's eyes. Suddenly, an inconceivable rumble shook the entire arena. Dipper glanced around to see that the structure was quickly evaporating into the multi-colored pixels from before! He turned to see that the enemy carcass that he was mounted upon was doing the exact same thing! Within seconds, Dipper began to fall through, back into an infinite time and space.

"AAAHHH!"

As quickly as he began to plunge, Dipper once more felt an arm wrap around his midsection. He jolted back in place, only to glance up to see Wendy's still grinning dimpled face.

"Hey, squirt!"

"Wendy?!" Dipper wrapped his arms around her torso. "But…but how?"

Wendy, lacking free hands, glanced upwards with raised eyebrows. Dipper's eyes shot up to see that she had used the grappling shot (the same one he ignored earlier) to attach to one of the still-standing decorations hanging overhead.

Dipper laughed at the serendipity of the situation. Wendy joined in as well,

"I can see why Mabel _loves_ these things!"

Exhausted, Dipper rested his weary head against Wendy's shoulder, making the redhead blush. She whispered, "You did great, _my little hero_…"

Wendy closed her eyes, only to hear a returned whisper,

"Couldn't have done it without you…_my heroine_…"

Both teens looked up at each other, and gave one another a quick celebratory peck on the lips. Seconds later, a huge beam of light rose up from the nothingness below the teens. Dipper and Wendy looked on to see that it was similar to that of the white portals they used to transverse the gaming worlds. Suddenly, the light began to _speak_ to them, leaving both teenagers flabbergasted:

"_You have succeeded in ridding the land of the evil tyrant. Please enter the light with a wish in your minds and hearts, and it shall be granted_…"

Wendy and Dipper looked at one another. Dipper smiled at the girl he loved so much, "I think I know what we both could want…" Wendy returned the sentiment. "I wish…"

"Wait, Dipper! *sssshhhhh!*"

"Huh? What's the matter?"

Wendy whispered, "Don't you remember what you said earlier?"

Dipper gave her a confused look. Wendy lowered her eyes at her cohort.

"You said, if you say your wish aloud, it won't come true…"

Dipper nodded. He felt Wendy's arm squeeze him harder.

"Hang on, tight!" she ordered the little teen. She could feel Dipper's grip on her waist tighten. Now situated, Wendy kicked her legs, back and forth, as if she was on a swing set. Once she had gained enough momentum, she warned Dipper to "Get ready!" as she let go of the grappling shot.

Both teens screamed as they fell into the shining force. With seconds, they could feel themselves rise higher and higher. Still holding on to each other tightly, Dipper and Wendy looked up into the blinding light, hoping that their next stop together would be home…


	9. Chapter 9

_"And no matter how hard I try,  
I can't escape these things inside.  
I know. (I know…)  
When all the pieces fall apart,  
you will be the only one who knows. (who knows…)"_

"Let Me Go," by Three Doors Down

**Chapter 9 – The True Reality**

Unlike their past travels, Wendy and Dipper were not greeted with a blinding light as they flew through the portal.

Instead, they faced an eternal darkness; complete and infinite black without any light or sound. The only thing that they could sense was that they were still in each other's arms.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed before their eyes. And then another. Shortly after, both teens began to hear a warped mumbling fighting its way through the dusk. As time passed, the muttering began clearer and louder. Finally, actual words came into reality:

"NO, LEAVE THEM ALONE! THEY LOOK 'A-DOR-A-BLE!' HEY-"

A huge, ear-shattering *THUD* exploded throughout the dark. With that, Wendy and Dipper's eyes shot open.

They were greeted with a fuzzy outlook of the world in front of them. As they regained focus, the adolescents could make out dim lights hanging overhead. They turned to see row upon row of arcade cabinets encircling them. In shock, they looked at each other, an arm still wrapped around one another, sitting on the older picnic table in the center of the room. Huge smiles started to grow across their faces.

"Dipper…" Wendy whispered, her emerald eyes shining down brightly at her younger companion.

"Wendy…" Dipper returned, his grin widening upon seeing Wendy's dimpled, freckled smirk.

"WE'RE HOME!" the two teens cheered loudly. They embraced one another and laughed out loud!

"We did it!" Wendy exclaimed, looking down at "_her little hero_." Her face lit up upon another realization, "…and you're back to normal!"

Dipper looked around his figure to see that his trademark pine cap, as well as his vest, orange tee, and short pants had returned. He glanced up at his not-so-secret crush and seen that the pink "princess" outfit that the last gaming world had outfitted her with was gone as well.

"You, too!" Dipper pointed. "Although…"

He ran a finger quickly through the front side of Wendy's thick, flowing red hair. "…I will admit; I will miss those cute braids you had…"

Wendy blushed at Dipper's compliment, playfully slapping the teen's hand away. "Shaddup, you little dork…"

Both teens continued to giggle excessively, until they were interrupted by a familiar voice,

"Uh, EXCUSE ME! WHAT exactly is going on HERE?!"

The celebrating teens turned to see the annoyed face of the goth, Robbie V, his fist resting against the wooden table.

"ROBBIE!" Wendy shrieked, fearfully jumping back. Dipper stood valiantly in front of his lanky teenage crush.

"WHOA! What's with you two?" He pointed at Dipper, "And YOU! Just WHAT did you think YOU were doing with MY GIRL?"

Wendy reached over Dipper and swatted the older teen's hand away from Dipper's face,

"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Wendy returned with a pointed finger of her own, "You've got a LOT of nerve, especially after everything you've done!" Dipper nodded along (happily) with Wendy's protest.

The expression on Robbie's face swiftly changed from angry to confused. He raised his hands up, "Babe, what are you talking about? Look, I'm sorry for being away, but I needed to help my "gram" out for a few days…"

Wendy raised her brow, "What?"

"Y'know. My gram lives on the mountainside, just right outside of town. I didn't call 'cause you can't get any reception out there…"

Wendy looked down at the little teen by her side, staring at his gothic nemesis, staying on guard for her sake.

"Robbie…" she questioned. "You have no memory, _at all_, of what happened with Dipper?"

"What about him?!" he challenged. "I haven't seen the kid in _about a week_!"

Growing doubts began to swirl in Wendy's mind. To her, something wasn't adding up. Dipper, however, stood defiantly against his rival's claims. He remembered the pain and worry that Robbie caused him in the gaming world. There was NO way it wasn't real.

"If that's true, show Wendy your phone. Even if you couldn't get through, it would _still_ have the calls on record."

Robbie let out a "_PBBFF_." "As if I have it with me right now. Like I said, I have been away from civilization for a few days. It's at home charging…"

All of a sudden, Robbie's persona changed back to one of anger and outrage.

"Hey, wait a second. Why am I explaining myself to YOU?!" Robbie once more pointed straight at Dipper. "I don't have to show _you or anyone else_ anything!" He leaned closer to the newly christened thirteen year-old. "All I know is that I walk into this place, and the first thing I see is you _snuggling_ with my girlfriend!"

Wendy tried to object, "Now, wait a minute…"

Robbie cracked his knuckles. "What _exactly_ should _we_ do about that?!

Dipper hopped onto the table's end, bringing himself face to face with his gothic nemesis,

"Dipper, don't!" pleaded Wendy. He could feel her tiny hand being placed on his shoulder.

As the two adversaries stared each other down, another acquainted voice broken through the tension,

"_Wait, Dipper_! "

Dipper looked past Robbie to see his equally-pint-sized twin sister, Mabel frowning at him, holding a plate containing a crushed chocolate cake_. His crushed chocolate birthday cake_! The same one that Wendy painstakingly crafted _just for him_, despite her lack of culinary skills. He sighed to himself, "_I didn't even get a chance to taste it_…"

"He's right about one thing, Dipper…" Mabel reassured, her braces lightly reflecting off the dank lighting. "When we found you guys, you both were sound asleep on the bench, wrapped in each other's arms! Her dark brown eyes began to beam, "IT WAS SOOOOOO CUTE!"

Robbie yelled down at the preppy teen, "Cute nothing!" He turned back to Dipper and Wendy. "How about instead of grilling me with all these questions, you answer a few. What happened here?"

As Dipper was beginning to explain, Wendy spoke up, "This was supposed to be a surprise party for Dipper's birthday…"

"Oh! Well, in that case…"

Robbie delivered a hard blow to Dipper's shoulder, nearly knocking him off the bench, "Happy Birthday, junior!"

Infuriated, Wendy raised a fist to retaliate, when Robbie pointed out, holding his hands up in defense. "Hey, I was within my legal rights. You can't hold 'Birthday Punches' against me"

Wendy raised her finger, ready to object, when she quickly lowered it. He _did_ have a loophole.

"Wait!" Robbie noted. "That means, it's also…"

He looked down at the teenage girl next to him. Mabel held the ruined cake in one hand, using the free one to point at her bright purple sweater. The words, "BIRTHDAY GRRL!" were written in silver glitter.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" Wendy admitted. "Happy Birthday, short stuff!"

Mabel flashed a metal-filled grin. "Thanks." She hinted at the teenager with a wink, "Did _everything_ go as planned?"

"Yep…" Wendy prided, using her thumb to raise her hat from her brow. She returned the wink. "Pretty much; at least until…"

Wendy stopped in mid-sentence when she noticed the object that Mabel carried in her arms.

"Hey, wait…is that? _Dipper's cake_!" Wendy became livid! "_Who wrecked that cake_?!"

Mabel pointed at Robbie, "You can thank "genius" here for that!" She turned to Dipper.

"I wasn't trying to be nosy or anything, but I wanted to see how everything was coming. I didn't hear from either of you, so I figured that things were going _smoothly.._." Mabel explained in a suave voice, moving her hand along in a straight line. Wendy giggled silently at the silliness of the slightly older Pines twin. Mabel continued on,

"I bumped into Robbie on the way here. He asked me if I had seen Wendy. I fibbed and came straight here…" She glared at the taller teenager next to her. "I didn't know that _I was being followed_…"

Robbie shot back, "Well, sorry, kid. It's not my fault you're a horrible liar. I figured that one freak usually leads to another, and with _that freak_, I'd eventually find Wendy."

Mabel pointed up at the mocking teenager, "Shut your pie hole!" Mabel turned back to Dipper and Wendy, and resumed her normally-sweet voice,

"Anyways, I found you two adorably fast asleep together…"

Dipper looked behind him to see Wendy's eyes beaming straight at him, making him smile a tiny bit.

"…and I figured that you guys just tired yourselves out. That's when Robbie came. He started banging on the table to wake you up. I told him to leave you alone, but he didn't listen! Eventually, his banging knocked over this guy…"

Mabel lifted the cake sightly, to indicate to what she was speaking of.

"It's okay though! I caught it on the first bounce!"

Robbie looked up from Mabel to look Wendy in the eye, shrugging his shoulders.

"So what?! It's just a cake!"

Almost immediately, Wendy gave a swift blow to Robbie's shoulder, making the gothic teenager cry out in anguish. Dipper had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"_You jerk_!" Wendy chastised. "Do you know how long it took _me_ to make that thing for Dipper? Or how many times I had to start over?

Robbie whispered under his breath, "_Not my fault you're a terrible cook_…"

Mabel and Dipper gasped (he from under covered mouth) while Wendy raised her eyebrow (and fist) to Robbie, "What was that?"

He scrambled to save himself, "Uh…I was saying that the reason I came to find you was that Nate and the rest of the guys were "un-grounded" today. I actually have a show later today, and figured that we can all hang out. After all, I need "_my girl_" in the front row for good luck…"

Robbie reached out for Wendy's hand, "Let's get out of here. What do you say?"

Wendy bit her lip. She was starting to have her doubts. She remembered perfectly what had just happened with Dipper; of what crazy worlds they had experienced, and more importantly, how Dipper and herself grew much closer. Then again, Wendy just had two people tell her that she and her young cohort had not traveled through time and space, but somehow simply managed to simply drift safely into slumber.

She glanced towards Robbie's outstretched hand and quickly looked down at her own hand placed on Dipper's shoulder. Her emerald green eyes met his sadden brown ones. Slowly, Wendy removed her hand from Dipper, and started to head forward. She was stopped abruptly by Dipper, tightly clutching the hand that had just left him.

"Wait…" he whispered to her. "_My Wendy_…wait, please…"

Wendy turned back towards Dipper, returning his melancholy look. "Dipper…what if they're right? What if it was all a dream?"

Robbie and Mabel looked at the two whispering teenagers, and then at each other in total confusion, as if they were being left out of some sort of inside joke.

"No way!" Dipper argued. "I mean, let's check the security tapes. Surely, one of them had to capture everything that went down!"

Robbie scoffed at the small teen's claim. "Like this place could _afford_ a camera system. Look around, kid! This place is lucky enough to get new games in, yet alone a closed circuit."

Dipper raised his head. Robbie was right! There wasn't a single camera extending from the ceiling.

"Oh…well…" Dipper turned to Wendy once more. "What about the contest we had earlier? All of the high scores you and I set? If we dreamt everything, then they wouldn't be there, right?"

"Uh…Dipper?" Mabel stammered, pointing to the cabinets behind him. Dipper and Wendy spun to see that every arcade game had a blank screen. It appeared as if all the games had lost power somehow. Dipper thought to himself, "It must have happened when Rumble took over the Arcade right after Wendy's abduction." A moment later, the fact struck Dipper harder upon a realization. With the power drained from the machines, all of the high scores were erased. _All of the memories created that day through his and Wendy's competitive and somewhat flirtatious rivalry were now lost forever._ Furthermore, another piece of evidence had once again slipped through his fingers.

Dipper stuttered, trying to come up with something (anything) that he could use to prove his claims.

"But he…I mean…wait a minute, just…"

Dipper was silenced as he felt Wendy squeeze his hand. He looked deep in the redhead's bright green eyes.

"Dipper, do you trust me?"

Dipper turned his head, sighed, and returned to look Wendy in the face. He gave her the same answer she had given him upon being asked the same thing earlier:

"I think you already know the answer to that…"

She offered a dimpled-filled smile at the worried boy,

"Then, _trust me_, okay?" Dipper felt the girl squeeze his hand even tighter. "_Everything_ will be _alright_…"

"C'mon, Wendy, girl! We're gonna be late!"

A huge frown spread across Dipper's face as he felt Wendy's hand wiggle free from his. He watched in disbelief as Wendy accepted the gothic hand extended out to her. As Wendy was pulled towards, Dipper noticed that Robbie's attention was not on the tall ginger heading by his side, but on Dipper himself. As the two rivals stared each other down once more, Robbie mouthed a message to Dipper, just right outside of Wendy's point of view:

"Until next time, kid…next time."

Dipper narrowed his eyes at the threatening goth. He thought to himself, "_He's lying…he knows exactly what happened. I can't prove it, but deep down, I know_…"

Robbie put an arm around Wendy, and together, the two teens began to head out. Biting his lip, Dipper called out one last time,

"Wendy?"

The girl stopped in her tracks and glanced towards the beckoning adolescent, still standing on the table.

"Thank you…for today. The birthday surprise; the cake; just _everything_…"

Wendy grinned at the obviously troubled boy and gave a quick wink, "Anytime, Dip. Hey, maybe next year, we'll get you guys out here in time for _my birthday_. Then, we'll see _what kinds of trouble we can get into_…"

Dipper looked down, his heart growing heavier, yet not wanting to beat around the bush, "Wendy, you won't forget _everything_ we talked about, right? After all…"

Dipper looked up with open eyes to see that Wendy had disappeared with Robbie before he finished his sentence.

"…_you promised_…" the boy sighed to himself.

Defeated, Dipper hopped off the table, only to be greeted by a silent, yet bugged-eye twin sister. He looked at her, somewhat annoyed,

"WHAT?!"

The other newly-christen teen placed her hands on her brother's shoulders and shook him gently,

"WHAT! JUST! HAPPENED?!"

Dipper sighed, and sat down on the table bench. Without looking up, he began to recall the entire tale to his twin, from Wendy and him vying each other for top scores at the Arcade, to her being snatched by Rumble McSkirmish, to his own adventures in various game worlds, to their reunion (and the promises made to one another), until the finale where they teamed up to vanquish their most dangerous foe.

Dipper heaved after telling his incredible tale. He looked up to see that Mabel stayed as she was previously: bright-eyed with a big, goofy grin on her face. She gently set the half-ruined cake on the table, and proceeded to slap her brother on the back, nearly knocking him off his seat!

"YEAH, DIPPER!" she cheered. Mabel crossed her arms, and threw her head back laughing. "My plan worked out way better than I thought!"

She looked down to see her twin still down in the dumps, his head remaining lowered.

"But, Mabel, _it wasn't real_. I mean, Wendy believes that it was all _just a dream_…"

He jumped off the bench and began to nervously pace. Mabel's eyes followed her nerve-wrecked sibling. He twirled around with arms open,

"I just don't get it, Mabel! It felt so real! Every scratch, scrape, and blow!"

Dipper's thoughts quickly shifted to those moments when he grew closer to Wendy. He continued to explain, closing his eyes, "I could sense the warmth from every hug…every kiss…"

Dipper could hear a giant gasp coming from behind him. He looked to see Mabel with her tiny hands pressed against her puffy cheeks. He thought to himself, "Maybe I shouldn't have said _that last part_ aloud…"

Unable to keep it in any longer, the tiny pistol finally exploded!

"O! M! G! You two…_actually_ kissed?!"

Mabel let out a happy squeal, and began to dance around the room, cheering her slightly younger brother's name. She quickly ran back to Dipper's front, exclaiming, "I can't believe it!"

Wendy's words came back to haunt Dipper, "Yeah, actually, Wendy _may have said_ something along those lines…"

"What's that, Dipper?"

"Umm…never mind…but still, Mabel, no one thinks it was real…except for me…"

As Dipper groaned, lowering his head, his twin placed a compassionate hand on his shoulder.

"_I believe you_, Dipper…"

A small smile began to show on his disturbed face. Mabel continued, "Besides, _stranger things_ have happened in this town!"

Dipper exhaled, once again, at the semi-supportive answer, "Thanks, Mabel."

A thought crossed Mabel's mind. She put her tiny hand up to her chin. Suddenly, lighting struck the hyper-active teen. She raced over to her brother's side.

"You know, Dipper. Your story reminds me of something I read in your journal; that big book with the number three on it?"

Dipper lowered his eyes, "I thought I said to NOT to mess with the book?!"

Mabel waved away at her brother's worry, "Oh, you say a LOT of things!"

The young girl was oblivious to her brother staring daggers at her.

"Anyways," Mabel started again, "I remember seeing a section about dreams…"

Dipper's ears began to perk up a bit.

"…it said that some cultures believe that the dreamscape IS the real world, or as they put it, "_the true reality_…"

Dipper was intrigued. "True reality?" he questioned.

"Oh, yeah!" Mabel went onwards. "They say that this world, the awaking world, is really the sphere of illusions; of false hopes and lost imaginings…"

All of a sudden, a beep came from behind Mabel, interrupting her theory.

"Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It's finished! It's finished!"

"What is, Mabel?"

Without answering, Mabel pulled out her instant camera, and waited as a picture slid out the bottom. She carefully grabbed the photo from the bottom and began to shake it repeatedly. After a few seconds, Mabel flipped the photograph around, its image bringing a blushed smile to her face.

With tremendous energy, Mabel sprinted over to her depressed twin. She held the snapshot under his hanged head, and with hidden glee, watched as life returned to the boy's face.

The photo Mabel flaunted was that of Dipper and Wendy. Sitting slumbering on the wooden bench, the two unconscious teenagers were posed leaning against one another, the edges of their trademark hats touching slightly. A thin, yet calm smile graced each of their blushing faces. Wendy, towering over her admirer, wrapped her arm behind the shorten teen to which he had done the same. It was as if Wendy was looking over her partner in crime; _protecting him_. Dipper's head rested itself against Wendy's shoulder blade, looking up with closed eyes in admiration at the girl he held dear to his heart. The scene portrayed was amazingly peaceful, with a sense of serenity to it. _To Dipper, it was perfect_.

"Oh…Mabel…"

Dipper had to fight to stop his eyes from watering. He didn't want to cry in front of Mabel; she would NEVER let him live it down.

Readied, he looked up at his sister with grateful eyes, "Thank you so much…"

Once more, Mabel shooed away his wild emotions. She pointed to the picture,

"_I think, Dipper, for whatever happened to you guys today, it was completely real. It may not be considered "real" here and now, but in some reality out there, everything did happen the way you said it did. You and Wendy did grow closer_…"

She raised the image once more, "_THIS is your proof, Dipper! That it did happen somewhere, and maybe can STILL happen even here!_"

Dipper reached for the photo, "Mabel, I'll treasure this always…" only to have it yanked out of his reach. Mabel skipped away, clutching the precious valuable. "Nuh-uh! This isn't for you…"

Dipper gave a confused look to his twin sister.

"Remember, silly?" she taunted. "Make every moment a "_scrapbookortunity_!" This _little gem_ will go nicely next to the infamous pic of you and Mermando!"

The heartbroken boy stared with empty eyes at his sister. Truly, Mabel couldn't be _that_ cruel? Could she?

Suddenly, another beep came out of Mabel's camera. For the second time, she collected the ejected print and waved it until it the imagery became solid. Mabel ran towards her downtrodden twin.

"Now, _this_, dear brother, is _yours_!"

Mabel carefully handed Dipper a copy of the same photo she had paraded in front of him only moments ago. Still in awe, Dipper took the memento without a second thought. He looked up at his grinning sister. Suddenly, a memory echoed through Dipper's mind. The two flashes that awakened both he and Wendy from the infinite blackness; it was Mabel all along, trying to preserve the precious sight before her eyes!

"Thanks again, Mabel…"

She displayed a proud thumbs-up, "Anytime, "Broseph."

Dipper rushed up and gave his sister a tight hug. She questioned him, "Awkward sibling hug?"

"Nope…" Dipper replied. "Just a regular one…"

"Happy B-Day, Dipper…"

"Happy Birthday, Mabel…"

He looked back up at his twin, and was quickly reminded of her own personal take on this day.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot! Happy "_Us_" Day!"

She responded with a bright, metal-braced smile.

Dipper began to lead his sister towards the exit. "C'mon, Mabel! Let's get outta here! Besides, I have your gift waiting at home."

"REALLY?!" the girl leapt into the air with joy. "WHAT IS IT?!"

"Nope…" teased Dipper. "You're just going to have to wait…"

"Spoil-sport…" whined the elder twin.

With that, Dipper reached over to the wooden table and picked up the remnants of his fallen birthday cake. He carefully ran a finger through the frosting and stuck it in his mouth.

"Hmmm…" Dipper smiled. "Wendy DID do an excellent job on the cake. I'll have to let her know the next time I see her…_whenever that is_…

Dipper looked once more at the table where he and Wendy were found. He pondered Mabel's theory about his experiences. Suddenly, a quote from the famed Sci-Fi writer, _Philip K. Dick_, sprung into his mind:

"_When two people dream the same dream, it ceases to be an illusion_."

"Perhaps…" he pondered to himself. "Perhaps, Mabel is right. Maybe things will work out after all…"

Carrying the cake, Dipper walked side by side with Mabel. As they reached the exit, Dipper turned around to look at the surroundings one last time. He sighed to himself with a hope in his heart: "If anything _could be_ (should be) considered to be _true_ among _any reality, _may it be Wendy's pledge of being my one-and-only "_gal pal_."" Hopefully, _she_ thought the same way, as Dipper remembered her offered reassurance of "_Trust me_…"

He heaved a heavy sigh, turned towards the smiling, braced teen awaiting him, and together, they finally exited the dank establishment.

"_If only_…"

Moments later, the pitter-patter of little feet could be heard resonating through the empty Arcade. Carrying a six pack of "Diet Pitt Peach Soda," Mabel Pines explored the abandoned hallways, looking for a particular arcade cabinet. A few moments later, she found the game she was seeking.

Mabel stood before the arcade unit labeled "Fight Fighters." She remembered the trouble that specific game had caused her family and friends. She thought to herself, "THIS ends here!"

She shook the soda cans in her hand violently. Standing on her tippy-toes, Mabel quickly popped the tops of the cans and watched in quiet awe as the contents splashed onto the machine! She jumped back as the machine began to emit electric sparks until suddenly, all that remained was a steaming mess, dripping with sticky peach flavored beverage.

"WHOP!" Mabel exclaimed loudly. "And that's the end of that chapter!"

Gleefully, Mabel took off like a bullet towards the exit. She stopped momentarily to throw her empty cans into the garbage pail at the Arcade's entrance. As Mabel walked out the building, towards her twin brother waiting outside (and curiously questioning her actions), she turned back and laughed,

"HA! Let's see _him_ come back now!"

With that, the thirteen year-old skipped her way outside, the only thought left on her mind was what surprise Dipper had planned for her at the Mystery Shack…

**Well, that's the end. Hope you guys and gals had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.**

**Thank you for all of the great reviews and support this last month and a half (especially those on FF; for some reason, not a lot of people liked the story on DA). However, I'm not done yet…and for this, I need your help.**

**I get a lot of questions asking about the various references and inspirations I used for the story. For this, I wish, within two weeks' time, to create a form of appendix, to provide a mind's eye view for each section. **

**Where do you come in? Have a question/complaint/compliment/etc about a certain part? Please, shoot me a comment in a review or PM or even on DeviantArt, and I'll try my best to answer it in said appendix. Want to ask a question for each chapter? Go on ahead…**

**Thanks again for reading through, and I look forward to your comments.**

**Until next time…**


	10. Reference Notes

"_Such is the author's dark power:  
to bend proud language into tawdry shapes…"_

-Jerry Holkins (aka Tycho Brahe) of "_Penny Arcade_"

Hello! If you made it this far, I congratulate you, and more importantly, thank you for reading through my story. As I began to write this, dropping off chapter after chapter on both Fanfiction and DeviantArt, I received reviews, comments, and PMs asking for information on the story; basically, a lot of who, what, where, why, how's, etc.

For this, I wanted to create a form of reference guide for each chapter. This way, people would know the various inspirations from which these scenes where created. The way I see it, if you like my mocked-up versions in this tale, you're bound to enjoy the original sources as well.

A couple of rules here:

**1. SPOILERS! Please, please don't read any further if you haven't finished the main story; please stop and wrap it up. If not, you'll probably regret it. The second thing is that reading these descriptions MAY spoil the plot of the original source games. For this, I will list the references before each section. If you don't want something spoiled, skip ahead to the next section or stop right there. You have been warned…**

**2. Because of the harsh linking rules on these sites, I cannot give visual aids. If you find a note/description/game you do not recognize, Google/Youtube/Wikipedia are your friends…**

**3. Despite the story being finished, it is NOT written in stone. If you have some advice on a change/inconsistency/grammar-spelling error/other suggestion, please feel free to leave a note/review/PM and I'll definitely look into it.**

**Chapter 1 – A Secret to Everybody**

**References**: The Legend of Zelda, Double Dragon, Bad Dudes.

**Song**: "All You Wanted," by Michelle Branch.

Ok, so I bet a lot of people are asking, "What was with the song quotes before each chapter?" The deal is that I did that in honor of one of the creators of the famed video game themed webcomic, "_Penny Arcade_." The writer of the series, Jerry Holkins, creates a news post to accompany every comic. At the end of each listing, he leaves a verse or two from a song. For this, I decided to do the same, but I chose themes to watch my mindset of the said chapter as I wrote them.

In this case, I thought of "All You Wanted," because like many of the tracks I selected, it can be interpreted in different perspectives. When you read the lyrics, one could say that it's relating to Dipper having to save Wendy from Rumble's peril. Yet, in my head, I thought it was the other way around; to me, Wendy is saving Dipper with her surprise, taking him away from his lonely world of make-believe and paranormal worries, if only for an afternoon, showing him she _does_ care.

**Notes: **This story uses the backstory provided by the GF episode, "_Fight Fighters_." To sum things up, Dipper misleads the released video game character Rumble McSkirmish to defend him against Wendy's boyfriend, Robbie V. He shortly loses control of the digital being, to which Dipper tries to make amends (and receives a severe beating for his trouble). The episode was well-loved by hardcore gamers (like myself) for its many gaming related references spread throughout the show. I personally hoped for a sequel, in which Disney delivered…but as a free online beat 'em up.

In "_Rumble's Revenge_," the karate master entraps both Pines twins in a virtual version of Gravity Falls in which climaxes in yet another battle with Rumble (this kinda cements Rumble's turn into a full-pledged bad guy; after all, what did Mabel ever do to him?). Luckily, Dipper and Mabel (who ironically, is the stronger twin game-wise) are victorious over the foe, and are returned safely to the real world. (This is why Dipper refers to this as his third encounter with Rumble…)

While the game was excellent (you can't beat free…), story-wise, it really wasn't the follow-up I was expecting. So, I decided to try my hand…

The other thing I loved about the "_Fight Fighters_" episode was the opening which provided a new side to the bond that Wendy and Dipper shared: a competitive, yet somewhat flirty one. Keep in mind, I had written the outline for this story before the airings of both "_The Deep End_" and "_Boyz Crazy_," so this scene was probably one of the best (yet only) examples of the two naturally enjoying each other's company without paranormal happenings or threats looming overhead.

The setting also allowed me to fix a problem for Dipper when concerning romantic-based matters with Wendy. A lot of people seem to flip out over the fact that Wendy is currently three years older than her crushing friend. So, as seen in "_The Inconveniencing_," I made the little guy "technically a teen," therefore helping him bridge that gap. In the show, it seemed like Wendy is unaware of/ignores Dipper's true intentions, so I figured why not Mabel help give her twin "the gift that he really wanted:" a day with all of Wendy's attention on him. It also gave me an excuse to have both teens return to the arcade, for this is where Wendy would remember Dipper being the happiest/least stress free.

With my previous Wendy/Dipper story, I wrote the characters as deeply caring towards one another, yet being able to possess a friendly rivalry. Like that story, said competition could be taken a step too far, resulting in a dangerous situation. This is why Dipper blows off Wendy when she is being abducted; he doesn't mean to ignore her, but he gets too caught up in the game.

A special thanks to tumblr user, "_Wendygirlyoumoveme_," for the idea of having Wendy's real name be "Gwendolyn." I thought that like most teenagers, she would be extremely embarrassed of her full name, having it be something that only her parental units were allowed to use (as Dipper learned the hard way…)

Also, I thought it was funny that no one picked up on the context clue that I left, saying that Robbie was presumed missing. Then again, I made sure to highlight Wendy's speech to Dipper about friendship (or how she narrowly avoided getting caught) not only to raise the boy's spirits, but to leave a set up for much later (see Chapter 7).

To be honest, of all the characters in the story, Rumble had to be the hardest to write for. As Dipper mentioned, Rumble speaks in a form of "Engrish," meaning using English roughly without applying the proper context and practice (a trait usually found in roughly translated Japanese-based games of the '80s). It was tough balancing a character who wasn't supposed to make sense, while making it clear to the audience what his intentions were.

At the end of the story, Dipper freaks out and cries when his greatest fantasy becomes his worst nightmare as Wendy is taken into the arcade machine by Rumble. He is then taunted with images of Wendy crying and struggling to free herself. I was kinda worried that people would say I wrote the two out of character (remember, Dipper shred a few tears in "_Dipper vs. Manliness"_ while "_Boyz Crazy_" hadn't aired yet), but I had a reason. In my eyes, _Gravity Falls_ uses its adult voice actors (in this case, Jason Ritter and Linda Cardellini) to give you the illusion that the characters are older/more mature than they really are (maybe, so people would pay closer attention to said characters?). At the end of the day, they're still _kids_! And if watching your best friend/secret love get sucked into a video game doesn't freak a kid out, I'm not sure _what exactly would_!

The other thing towards the end I'd like to note is Dipper's vest. He was able to keep Wendy's trapper hat safely in it through the adventure, the same way he usually holds the #3 journal inside, without a bump or bulge, etc. I wonder if it's like Link's pouch in the _Legend of Zelda_ series, where he can keep an unlimited variety of items without penalty?

This chapter was a bit light on the gaming references, due to the huge amount of backstory and set-up that had to be created. The title of the chapter (and well of the final line of Wendy's crossed-out note) comes from the original _Legend of Zelda_. The game that Wendy and Dipper plays before her kidnapping is supposed to be _Double Dragon_ (where Wendy's red character is killed by a green, undead Adobo, while Dipper's blue character somehow barely scrapes by; more in Chapter 5 and 6 about this). Finally, Rumble taunts Dipper with a quote from the beat 'em up, _Bad Dude_s, asking if "he is BAD enough to save Wendy…"

I also had a lot of requests to what worlds Dipper and Wendy would visit during the adventure. Keep in mind, when selecting games, I had two rules: it had to be an arcade game originally, and that it had to have a sort of damsel-in-distress theme to it. Almost all of these worlds mentioned (except Chapter 8)abided by these rules. There were plenty of other games I wanted to explore (_Ninja Gaiden II_ (the original, not the remake!) kept popping up in my mind, but I couldn't make it fit without repeating myself), but as much as I liked writing this adventure, I couldn't have it go on forever. So, if your favorite title wasn't included, I apologize.

**Chapter 2 – Another Castle.**

**References**: Super Mario Bros. (of course!), Golden Axe, Super Mario Land.

**Song**: "Almost Unreal," by Roxette.

Not going to lie; the main reason I selected this song for this chapter was because it was the main theme for _Super Mario Bros: The Movie_. There is actually a funny story with that; the band Roxette was really mad at Disney because "Almost Unreal" was created for _Hocus Pocus_ (that's right; the Bette Middler witch movie) but it was later stuck to the Mario movie. Interesting, huh?

**Notes: **As one could guess, Dipper's first video game trip is to the Mushroom Kingdom of _Super Mario Bros. _(called Linguini Bros. in my version) where almost everything is alive and bubbly. Truth is according to Mario lore, the dancing shrubbery and plant life are actually transformed and cursed mushroom people by Koopa's magic (the Dragon King here…).

A small note about this the Mario World appearance in the story: I received a LOT of requests, asking for Dipper and Wendy to appear in various games. However, since they are supposed to be warping around the arcade, I wanted to keep the vast majority of titles mentioned to actual arcade games. In this case, a lot of people may not know that Nintendo released an arcade version of the first Mario, called _Vs. Super Mario Bros_, to help hype the original release of the NES back in 1985 (so in a way, I cheated…sorry). Also, I changed the length of the game (at least through Dipper's eyes) to four worlds. As much as I liked writing this story, there was NO WAY I could stretch it out to meet all 32 worlds of the original game…

I also decided as Dipper and Wendy warped through different worlds, they would assume the places of the hero/heroine-damsel in distress of each game, where Dipper goes into fanboy mode upon becoming gamedom's most famed heroes, while poor Wendy gets the short end of the stick, placed into somewhat demeaning and perilous roles (more on this in later notes…).

Dipper sees this world through the eyes of Super Linguini (Mario) where everything appears adorable, yet in truth, turns out to be extremely deadly. This description coming from someone who loves the cute Koopa Troopas, yet sometimes forget (if real) they wouldn't hesitate to eat me alive (as what almost happened to Dipper in the chapter).

A quick mention about Dipper's concussion on the item boxes; this theory was originally mentioned in the "_Howard & Nester"_ comic from the magazine, _Nintendo Power_. They had done a tribute to the newly released _Super Mario Bros. 3_ (again, this was 1990…) in which the title character strikes a "?" box with his head painfully, only to be corrected by his partner, who recommended to use his fist, for "it hurts less."

Dipper later encounters the people of the kingdom (the Mushroom Retainers, or "Toads," as they are called now today) who aid him as well as reveal that Wendy plays the role of their missing Princess. My personal favorite thing was the fact that they used fireworks set in Wendy's trademark red and green coloring to light his way. After all, Dipper did lower himself on the white flagpole earlier (he must have hit on with the right digit on the timer…)

Another thing I questioned was the actual sensation that the Mario characters felt as they used the numerous power-ups. How did they know how to use them (did they work automatically?). Did it hurt to use them? For this, I wrote Dipper's experience with the items to relate to his feelings. The Super Mushroom responded to Dipper's fear; the Starman/Invincibility Star made Dipper feel warm and tingly inside (as if when he gets all mushy with Wendy); and the Fire Flower reacted to his anger and frustration in overall life. However, I also made sure to reflect on the absurdity of such power being contained in such cutesy articles (the final boss laughing at the Fire Flower, and Dipper agreeing with his mockery, for example…).

As Dipper reenacts the famed lava-side fight with the Bowser-esque Dragon King, a mysterious helper (who is later revealed to be Wendy in the later chapters; again more on this later) tosses a weapon down from a higher balcony, so that he could sever the rope bridge supporting the monster. The name of the artifact, _Golden Axe_, is a tribute to the classic Sega brawler of the same name.

The last thing I want to explain for this section is the ending itself. Dipper finds Wendy (in Princess garb) stranded on a platform hanging over another pit of lava. This scene is a tribute to the enhanced SMB1 remake found within the _Super Mario All-Stars_ anthology. However, I didn't want the adventure to end so soon, (or so cheesy, as reviewer Kawaiifan critiqued…) so I switched the ending to that of the Game Boy release, _Super Mario Land_. At the end of each level, Mario approaches the Princess, only to watch in horror as she is revealed to be a monster hiding in disguise (the creature that bites Dipper is meant to be the squid -like "Blooper"). Also, the way I figured it, Wendy's personality would not line up to that of the timid and somewhat earnest Princess Toadstool, but rather the spunky and incredibly tomboyish Princess Daisy, so in the end, it kind of fit perfectly. Also, I just HAD to include the famed GF spin on the infamous Mario quote, "Sorry, but your princess…" to where the title of the chapter comes from.

**Chapter 3 – We All Wear Masques…**

**References**: Splatterhouse (both the 1988 original and the 2010 remake).

**Song**: "Anthem of the Angels," by Breaking Benjamin.

This song was selected because its saddened mood, igniting visions of pain, loss, death, and even what waits beyond. According to a few fan sites, rumor has it that the song was considered to be a part of the soundtrack for the PS3/Xbox 360 remake, until the producers decided on a heavy/speed metal overtone for the game instead.

**Notes: **While it made me extremely happy that a ton of people loved the scenario that Dipper and Wendy were placed into this chapter, it broke my heart that not one person knew where it originally stemmed from (though I figured as much). Before _Resident Evil_ or_ Fatal Frame_ or even _Mortal Kombat_ came _Splatterhouse_.

Often referred to as the world's first truly violent video game (as well as the first to be BANNED from several arcades), _Splatterhouse_ tells the story of star-crossed lovers Rick and Jennifer, who travel to the abandoned and supposedly haunted West Mansion (a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's _Re-Animator_) in hopes of aiding their college studies of parapsychology. Upon entering the house, Jennifer is whisked away by zombies and various monsters, while Rick is helplessly slaughtered. Inching towards death, Rick comes into contact with an ancient Aztec Mask, which restores his life and enables him the strength to battle the nasties lurking throughout the mansion.

However, this all comes at a price. The artifact, called the Terror Mask, is actually a sentient, yet somewhat sinister creature. To power Rick, it demands nothing but pure carnage and gore. As Rick complies, destroying the numerous creatures that accost him, he begins (much to the mask's delight) to lose himself in savage bloodlust. The only thing that keeps him human at times is the thought of his lost love.

At the end of the story, Rick is able to locate Jennifer, but arrives too late as she is transformed into a beast by her monstrous captors. In retaliation, Rick and the mask burn the cursed residence to the ground, and shortly part ways. After the credits, the Mask returns to taunt the player, signaling that everything is NOT as it seems.

As you can judge by the synopsis above, I figured that the morbid, yet gloomy tale of _Splatterhouse_ would be perfect to plague the already guilty mind of our young hero. However, I must admit that this was the hardest chapter to write due to having to balance the violent nature of the game with the overall "PG" world of _Gravity Falls_. A rule I try to adhere to when writing these pieces is that the overall tone has to match that of its original source, as if I wish to make it as close to canon as possible. For this, "blood" became "goop," "deadmen" became "jellymen," the chainsaw-welding Biggyman (who originally gets his via a double-barreled shotgun) becomes the Groundskeeper (whom meets his end by piranha pool), and the beast-transformed Wendy fells herself rather than being killed in self-defense. I also had to remove the gore, guts, and dismembered body parts that were part of the décor of West Mansion.

Perhaps the most fun I had with this chapter was rewriting the dialogue for the accursed mask that saves (and torments) Dipper. In the original 16-bit trilogy, the Terror Mask was more of a silent partner, who barely talks to our hero. This vastly changed with the 2010 remake. The famed voice actor, Jim Cummings, breathed new life in this nearly-forgotten character. This Mask aids the once-slain teenager, acting as both guide and power source. However, being able to see in its wearer's mind, the relic is easily able to make "commentary" on its subject's personal side unfettered, hoping to exploit its way into said psyche. As terrible as it may sound, this seems to be a perfect match for someone like Dipper, who hides his "true feelings and thoughts" behind a thick layer. As the Mask says in the story, Dipper has all of these negative views and outlooks somewhere in his essence, so, in a way, he's truly arguing amongst himself.

Almost all of the Mask's dialogue featured in the story was originally performed in the remake, a fact that I feel kinda bad about, yet I couldn't bring myself to NOT use it. The messages given were just so haunting and brooding that it would probably work on any sensitive male protagonist. However, as with the violence factor, I did have to remove a bunch of swearing and sexual implications. I also altered some dialogue to be more _Gravity Falls_ eccentric.

Another part that I was shocked that people enjoyed was the whole "Mirror" sequence. In the original 16-bit _Splatterhouse_, there is a sequence where Rick walks through a hall of mirrors, when his reflections actually shatter their way into reality to attack the hulking hero. In the 2010 remake, this idea was expanded on as he encounters monstrous versions of his dear Jennifer lurking throughout a maze of mirrors (if you think the fake Wendy's dialogue I created was mean, _you'll be shocked_ about Jennifer's comments towards Rick!) before facing his own devilish doppelgangers.

Lastly, the small quote the mask gives to Dipper, "Welcome to 'Slaughterhouse…'" at the beginning of the story is actually a verse from the _Koffin Kats_ song, "_Splatterhouse_," said to be a tribute to the original trilogy. It also could be said to originate from the creepy commercial made to celebrate the Japanese home release. The creators of the remake even included the phrase in the instruction manual's opening…

If anyone is further interested in this series (kinda hard to find the older games due to their cult status), I'd recommend picking up the remake, for it has all of the original games (uncut!) as well…

**Chapter 4 – Twice Upon A Quest**

**References**: Ghosts 'N Goblins series (Ghosts 'N Goblins, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts, and Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins).

**Song**: "Blurry," by Puddle of Mudd.

As silly as it may sound, this is the first time I struggled with selecting a song. Originally, I had chosen "Invincible," by Crossfade, for I felt that it perfectly captured the idea of Dipper struggling with his inner feelings for Wendy, or how he tries to be a better person (trying to break out of his shell) while in her presence. However, while writing the story, "Blurry" popped up on my playlist. As I thought about it, it seemed to share a lot of the same feelings, but also, it gave the listener the sensation of loss, as well as clarity upon reunion. Granted, the song was originally written about a band member's young son, but still, it easily fit the bill.

**Notes: **To the people who are unfamiliar with the G'NG series, it is infamous for its incredibly brutal difficulty. As in the fiction, the knight Arthur (funny enough; no relation to King Arthur…) fights through the horrific Ghoul Realm to rescue the Princess Prin-Prin (I swear, that's her real name!) before she is used in a ritual to unite the real and undead worlds.

For this, the knight has to transverse graveyards, abandoned villages, boiling oceans, treacherous mountain ranges of fire and ice (depending on the game) until he reaches the gate outside of the mastermind's lair…only to be told to GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING for the true end!

Now, imagine trying to do this on one quarter…

The first game doesn't really give a reason to why it happens (It says the final battle was a trap room set by the devil), but starting with the second game, the Princess herself explains that the hero is ill equip for the last boss. For this, Arthur has to return to the start of his quest to find a missed bonus weapon found in a randomly appearing treasure chest (this is why I gave Dipper a cheat: the gauntlet with a "Wendy-Green" jewel to locate the chest, rather than wildly jumping around trying to make chests appear). No matter how much the player searches or tries, there is NO way to make the item appear during your first play through. Plus, there are booby-trapped chests, in which a jester or magician would appear and change the player's appearance (e.g. Dipper's quick experience as a blue duck).

I figured that Dipper's intelligence (and will to rescue Wendy quickly) would stop him from accepting this fact, forcing the game to try to make him return to the beginning. This is where Wendy's little helper comes in (more in Chapter 5 notes…). I originally thought of the fairy as a guide to Wendy as was the Mask to Dipper, yet what I didn't know that it was a happy accident. In the third game, a fairy ACTUALLY does give the hero the Princess's Bracelet in order to defeat the last enemy.

Furthermore, the main character is only allowed two blows before he shrinks down into a literal bag of bones. Upon the first hit, the knight's armor shatters, revealing a frail form leaving nothing to the imagination except a pair of white boxers with red heart decorations (I thought I'd be funny if Dipper's had blue lambs instead…).

A couple of the scenes I mentioned were exclusive for the arcade versions of the games. A perfect example is the part at the beginning where the hero's horse was cut into two by the blue laser. Actually what happened next in the game story was that the Princess herself was mowed down by following lasers. However, the way I saw it, how many clones or fake deaths was Wendy supposed to go through? This is why when Dipper finds Wendy, her physical form is alright, but her spirit is missing. So, yeah, this way is less violent, but more depressing on Dipper's mind (for some reason, I pictured his methods of trying to wake his teenaged crush through poking, pinching, tickling, yelling, etc. in a form of a 80's style montage).

Another thing (similar to the Mario-based chapter) that I took a few liberties was the power-up system. As in the games mentioned, the knight's weaponry becomes stronger upon receiving new armor. The perfect example is near the end where Dipper has the Golden Armor and is being overwhelmed by the countless flies. He is able to use the armor to enhance his lance weapon and create a powerful lightning bolt shot. The game never really explains how Arthur is able to "charge" the weapons, so in Dipper's case, I used his anguish of letting Wendy down to power his attack. The same thing happens when he loses the Golden Armor; Arthur loses his range when near-naked the exact way Dipper did in the story.

As for the ending of the story, I wanted the reader to share the same emotions as Dipper: annoyance, loneliness, frustration, and some level of hopelessness. I was glad people felt that way, for a lot asked the same thing that Dipper had, "_Where is the real Wendy_?" This was the perfect point to reveal just that…

**Chapter 5 – When A Damsel Is Anything But…**

**References**: Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Dance Dance Revolution, Paperboy, Super Mario Bros 1 & 2, Splatterhouse 1 & 2 and 2010 remake, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins, Double Dragon.

**Song**: "Vanilla Twilight," by Owl City.

Already knowing that this chapter was going to be Wendy-eccentric, I really wanted to pick a song that would highlight her feelings of her current situation. I always figured that deep down, beyond her tough-girl image, Wendy was secretly a softie (this chapter was halfway completed when "_Boyz Crazy_" aired). I thought that of all the craziness running through our favorite ginger's head, probably the most rampant thing would be a sense of being alone in a strange and new world.

The verse from "Vanilla Twilight" captured that feeling perfectly.

**Notes: **Before I begin, I want to simply state my opinion on the whole "Damsel-in-Distress" point of view. A lot of people in the media believe that the ideology of a "D.I.D." is a punch to the face of any positive feminist movement, enabling a message that women are weak and unable to save themselves without a man's help, etc. For this, there are easily several examples in our culture that prove that point right.

However, the way I've always seen it (not disapproving the above to note), when a loved one is taken, it doesn't show a sign of weakness for said victim (rather it be a man or a woman) but it does make the situation incredibly personal. When Dipper and co. (or any protagonist for that matter) saves the entire world from a threat, there is a sense of anonymity there. Only a handful of people in the world would even know of his/their efforts. Personally, very little is gained or lost. In this case with Rumble abducting Wendy, it pretty much shatters _Dipper's world_ exclusively, which was Rumble's intention. The villain took Wendy because she is _Dipper's loved one_, rather than her being an easy target (keeping in mind, Wendy fights him off for a while despite being a quarter of his size!). If anything, Dipper sees himself as flawed for letting the act happen! Never once does he think of the redheaded teenager as weak or helpless, but does mount a rescue because he cares for her, and believes that Wendy's predicament is on his head. Sure, he dreams of being her hero, but if anything, that could be considered _secondary_ to ensuring Wendy's well-being (since he learns later in the story that _he already is_…).

Wendy's point of view is a mirror image of this. As she awakes to a mocking Rumble (who does limit her to sexist stereotypes), her thoughts switch to Dipper, who she fears is walking into a deadly trap. Again, she _is_ personally insulted that Rumble had labeled her a "D.I.D." but her first priority is her friend's safety. That is what inspires her escape.

This is also why the reader sees that with every victory Dipper came across, Wendy had played a role in it. She gives him the golden axe. She breaks the remaining mirror. She asks her fairy friend to deliver the bracelet. She warns him about Robbie's double cross, plus let's not forget the tag teamed final battle (despite Dipper's over-protectiveness). If anything, I'd say Wendy possibly had a _tougher_ time through the game worlds than Dipper. After all, it seemed like Dipper had small breaks/went at a slower pace than Wendy, to whom the whole experience appeared to be one huge race to successfully escape and rejoin Dipper (hence, why this chapter was HUGE!). One could even say that this could be due to the fact that Wendy struggled valiantly against the gaming worlds' label of damsel, while Dipper had no choice to accept the role of hero in order to help his crush.

At the end, it wasn't a tally of "_who saved who_," rather than "_we saved each other_!" Thusly, as Dipper is permanently labeled as Wendy's "hero," she is dubbed Dipper's "heroine."

I knew that this chapter was probably going to be the one that would make or break the story. If I failed to portray Wendy perfectly, I would end up with a LOT of insulted and angry readers. Luckily, it seemed that the vast majority was extremely pleased (noting Fanfiction user MadiYasha's massive review, for example) with my idea of Wendy.

However, I'm just tossing it out there; if I disappointed anyone out there; you have my most humblest and sincere apologies…

Anyways, at the beginning of the chapter, Wendy finds her ankles chained to the floor of a neon-based room in which Rumble seems to lurk. This is supposed to be the training room found in _Marvel vs. Capcom 2_ as well as other _Capcom_-based fighters.

The way Wendy slips her chains actually came to me while watching "_The Deep End_." While I do think that "Lifeguard Wendy" was incredibly adorable, I thought how her limbs and digits were drawn (arms/hands/fingers/feet/ankles/toes) were kind of weird. For some reason, it reminded me of the design of the characters for _Adventure Time_ (case in point, Finn, Princess Bubblegum, and Marceline), to which they share the same tall and lanky design as Wendy. No other character on GF is drawn like this for some reason! If one was to compare how small Wendy's bare feet are compared to the size of her trademark muddy boots, you'd think the footwear were easily three or four times too big. That's when it hit me: that's how she'll escape! Still, I wanted to toss in the fact that Wendy was cool enough to know how to pick locks. After all, how could be it that Mabel knew how, yet Wendy couldn't? If anything, Wendy probably taught the young girl how!

Wendy goes through the exit to see a huge gathering of portals, each representing a different game world, some including GF's version of _DDR_, Dancy Pants Revolution (added in honor of reviewer Kawaiifan) as well as a _Paperboy_ tribute. And yes, I just HAD to give her socks that matched her trademark flannel. As I said above, I see Wendy as a hip chick of style…

It is as she arrives (trapped once again) in _Linguini World_ that Wendy begins her own travels through the gaming worlds. To be fair, my inspiration for Wendy's demeanor (outside of the show, of course) comes from a webcomic called _Brawl in the Family_. Created by schoolteacher Matthew Taranto, the strip portrays various Nintendo characters in humorous, yet very wholesome situations. Such is the case for the article called "_The Captive Princess_." Basically, it tells the backstory of the original _Super Mario Bros_. through the perspective of Princess Toadstool. Taranto presents a scenario where Toadstool is resourceful and cunning enough to plot her own way through captivity, and that her meeting of Mario (after his battle with King Koopa) was merely a chance encounter, rather than a complete rescue of a hapless damsel. This was EXACTLY the mindset I wanted to keep when designing this chapter!

The other factor I wanted to toss in the mix was the fact that despite how much of a "bad girl" (and I use the term very loosely) that Wendy presents herself to be, she IS still just a fifteen-year old kid. So, as I presented Dipper in the earlier chapters, I wanted to make sure that the audience knew that Wendy wasn't _invincible_. She gets hurt and feels pain. She experiences fear, sadness, and regret. She has her own doubts, opinions, and concerns. Heck, she cries as much as Dipper does! I struggled to keep that level of equality between the two characters. Yet, I believed that such qualities also bring out Wendy's more positive traits as well. My favorite example (at least, in the Mario-esque world) is when Wendy attempts to fake illness, and then tries to sweetly bribe her Hammer Bros. guards. Those are the types of ideas that would easily pop into the mind of a hyper-active, yet highly creative teenager.

To be honest, the only reason that Wendy loses her footing and slips from the tower's ledge was because I wanted her to use Princess Toadstool's "floating" ability from _Super Mario Bros.2_; I wasn't taking a shot at her (after all, any or all media show that the twins are traditional klutzes).

Wendy reaches a new balcony to see a costumed Dipper fighting off a huge beast. She tosses down a weapon to aid him, while shouting down cheers. This alerts her jailers, whom quickly recapture Wendy and send her into the next world. As Dipper's paranoia and "natural bad-luck" plagues his journey, I wanted something similar to trouble Wendy's travels. To paraphrase what Wendy explains to Dipper later in the story, "When you're a teenager, you do a lot of stupid stuff…" Granted, I'm not calling the lanky teen "stupid," but insisting that it seems natural to her (as least, of what the show offers) to jump into stuff feet first without thinking it though (again, total opposite of Dipper, whom only does so when offered no alternative…).

With this in mind, the reader sees that Wendy often gets herself into her own perils. She excitedly shouts to the top of her lungs when she's supposed to be sneaking around. She gets snagged by the undead creatures in the portal by ignoring the warnings on the hieroglyphics. The spiders pin Wendy's feet to the web while she makes small-talk with the imprisoned fairy. Again, such cases were not trying to demean Wendy's intelligence, but to illustrate what goes on through the mind of your average fifteen year old (rather they be boy or girl) when placed in such an extraordinary situation.

To continue, Wendy is warped (wearing the ruined dress of Jennifer from _Splatterhouse_; so no, I didn't purposely dress the teen in scraps) to the world beyond the mirror. She watches as she sees the transformed Dipper for the first time, while her doppelgangers begin to plague him (see Chapter 3 notes for more information on this scene). Saddened, but angry by Dipper's torment, Wendy selflessly throws herself through the mirror, desperate to reach and comfort her friend. Instead, she finds herself in an ancient temple with a gateway to the undead world lying underfoot.

This scene is actually based upon _Splatterhouse 2_. As the Mask hints to Dipper at the end of Chapter 3, the game wasn't truly over. In the real game, the Mask returns to Rick (heartbroken over his failure to save his girlfriend) to alert him that it's not too late! He offers a vision in which a second Splatterhouse exists, and hidden within, lies a doorway to the land of the dead, where Jennifer is held captive. After countless gruesome battles, the duo finally reaches the void, to which the lovers are united…only to have the poor girl pulled back through by bitter ghouls (this is the scene where Wendy is accosted by the zombie hands, which in truth, originally stems from _Poltergeist III_, but who's counting?). Rick and the mask go into the void to find Jennifer sealed within a crystal cocoon. Upon freeing her, the three are attacked by a literal world of the undead! However, with perseverance, they are able to fend off their ghostly pursuers and once more, the Mask leaves Rick with his love, with the promise that they'll meet again someday…

However, the thing is that in my version, Wendy is alone in her peril. This would be around the same time that Dipper is trying to reason with the pseudo-Wendy beast in the bedroom, so the real one would have to save herself (yet again). I really couldn't think of an awesome way for Wendy to release herself from the crystal, so to be honest, I borrowed from an episode of _Kim Possible_. In said show, Kim frees herself from an ice prison by belting a HUGE C-note! I quickly remembered the cutesy scene from Chapter 1 to which Wendy was semi-embarrassed to sing in front of Dipper. For this, I combined the two ideas and gave our favorite ginger an escape route.

The faces that pursuit Wendy actually do appear in _Splatterhouse 2_ in a cool visual effect. There are certain places in the game in which the background goes dark and suddenly, lightning flashes, revealing rows upon rows of haunting, undead faces staring at the player. The same thing happens as our heroes escape from the void (to which Wendy suffers the same). As she leaves the horrid plane, the Mask reminds her that "_It's only a video game_…" This phrase was actually the tagline for the original game's home release in the United States.

When Wendy enters the _Ghosts 'N Goblins_ world, I wanted to do something a bit different to give the redhead a bit more character. In the games, the opening quickly summarizes how the Princess was taken by the demon forces. However, I figured Wendy deserved a lot better than that. Instead of simply sitting there, waiting to be kidnapped, Wendy takes up arms, after scolding her cowering bodyguards, (her thoughts of "manhood," being a nod to the message in "_Dipper vs. Manliness_") and attempts to defend herself against staggering odds. From there, Wendy's travels are essentially backwards of Dipper's, where she starts at the final boss, and attempts to escape back to the surface…until she hears cries for help…

It was always my intention to use the last part of Wendy's exclusive chapter to explore her conscience. There are several factions of the GF fanbase that believe Wendy is a selfish and conceded person. Her actions in the "_Boss Mabel_" episode definitely left a sour taste in a lot of mouths (one could see something was off when Dipper advises Mabel to NOT have Wendy take advantage of her like that). Despite her mistakes, I personally do not believe Wendy is a terrible person; if anything, she is guilty of ignorance by ways of innocence. In other words, she acts like that at times, because she IS just a kid! (as previously mentioned)

I added the idea of the fairy companion at the last minute, because I wanted Wendy to have the same form of self-realization as Dipper had with the _Slaughterhouse_ mask. Luckily, after writing the section, I did a little research to see that there was a sprite in actual _Ghosts 'N Goblins_ canon! For this, Wendy is presented with a moral dilemma. She has to choose to risk her life for something that may not real, yet it forces a sense of empathy in the young teen, for technically, she is in a similar position herself.

Upon rescuing the creature and narrowly escaping another monster, the pixie starts a dialogue with Wendy. Through its childlike eyes, the figure views Wendy (maybe due to her outfit?) as a real princess, to which Wendy takes insult to. Similar to Rumble's labeling her as a mere damsel, Wendy views the sprite's words as calling her weak or helpless. The fairy argues back, careful of Wendy's feelings, saying that not every princess is like that (a clue about Wendy's role in Chapter 8…). As Wendy ponders this, the pixie continues, guessing that she feels this way because her mostly independent lifestyle. If one looks at Wendy's home life (from the information given on the show, we have one instance of Wendy having breakfast with Manly Dan, while another time, she goes camping with the three boys. Otherwise, it's usually Dan hanging with the boys) it seems apparent that it may be almost non-existent (which isn't unheard of for an eldest child of a family). In short, that aspect of Wendy's life may have taught her to mostly count on herself for support.

It is when Wendy sees the Golden Armored Dipper – and realizes that he's not really there, that she starts to break down a bit. Turning to the fairy for support (a form of anonymous confession in a way, since the creature isn't real), Wendy explains her reasons for taking Mabel's advice on a surprise party for Dipper. She also admits that Rumble was right in his accusations: Dipper is indeed _very precious_ to Wendy's heart, and for this, she feels guilty towards her previous actions, even if she doesn't realize it at first. The fairy foreshadows while wiping Wendy's tears away that her true intentions may be what Dipper adores about her. For this, Wendy resolves to make things right with the small teen…

As terrible as it may sound, I wanted Wendy to slip out of Dipper's grasp one last time, but I wished to make it clear that it was the real Wendy that vanished once more. For this, I decided to use my unnoticed context clue from Chapter 1. After all, the sprite promised Dipper that Wendy would be waiting for him, and vice versa. In my head, I figured, who would be the only other person that Wendy would have the same amount of trust as she would for Dipper?

When Wendy awakes in her body, she is greeted by an emerald green (again, one of Wendy's trademark colors) armored Robbie V (which is actually the set placed between Dipper's/Arthur's blue and golden armors in _Ghouls 'N Ghosts_ lore). While extremely glad to see him, Wendy tries to explain the horrifying situation that Dipper and she shared only to be shushed by Robbie, who claims Dipper is awaiting them both in the next world. This is another perfect example of how Wendy and Dipper's characters are opposite. While Dipper's constant doubting nature would question the coincidence of the matter, Wendy goes as far as to put blind faith towards a loved one, no matter what the circumstance without hesitation (something that Dipper later learns to appreciate).

When Wendy and Robbie enter the new world, they become outfitted in the same fashion of Marion and Jimmy Lee of _Double Dragon_ fame. She is led by the gothic teen into an alleyway were she is surrounded by familiar looking thugs (the same ones that she failed to defeat while playing co-op with Dipper at the arcade). Wendy turns to address Robbie when he delivers a gut check to the unsuspecting girl, to which he shortly scoops up and disappears into the night with.

I really want to make clear that while I personally dislike the character of Robbie, I really cannot see him as the abusive type (at least towards Wendy; she could take him any day of the week). However, the thing I want to illustrate is that the aforementioned scene is truly what happens in the first twenty seconds of _Double Dragon_; from the original arcade edition, to the recent remake _Double Dragon Neon_. It really wasn't made to take pot-shots at either Robbie or Wendy, but was simply included due to the fact that this moment of the game's canon fits perfectly as a shocking conclusion to the chapter.

**Chapter 6 – The Better Man**

**References**: Double Dragon

**Song**: "The Remedy," by Abandoned Pools.

Again, this is one of the songs I knew without a doubt that I needed to highlight. The mellow tune and its lyrics perfectly capture the conflict between Dipper and Robbie, with poor Wendy left stuck in the middle.

**Notes: **We begin the story as Dipper races into the new world (transforming into the same outfit as well as height and muscle-base of _Double Dragon_ hero, Billy Lee) with a sense that something had terribly gone awry. He immediately walks into a trap that involves a literally moving wall! For the record, when it comes to _Double Dragon_, this thing is the literal _bane of my existence_. Therefore, I made it Dipper's as well!

I confess to the reader that I skipped ahead in this chapter, dropping Dipper off at the final level/entrance of the evil gang (officially called the Black Shadow Warriors). I did this because I'd rather concentrate on the climax of the section (which seems to be a fan favorite) versus having to write over fifty screens worth of useless detailing.

As with the game that Wendy and Dipper were playing earlier, Dipper assumes the same role of his avatar, going through a gauntlet of various warriors, including the green-skinned Adobo (who previously defeated Wendy's red character). I wanted to include a sense of humor in the mix, so I had Dipper feel extremely guilty when faced against the female gangbangers (called "Lindas" in the game's continuity), and feel even worse when he accidentally leads one to her doom.

I also wanted to highlight Dipper's greatest tool, his intelligence, throughout the chapter. While Dipper's form is greatly enhanced due to the game's influence, it only brings the teen to an equal status of the villains lurking throughout the lair. For this, I had Dipper figure out that pattern of the enemies' A.I., so that he would gain the advantage. This is actually how real game players excel at beat 'em up titles such as this!

Also, quick note of the blinking 8-bit hand that leads Dipper to the right path when he is confused. A lot of games of this genre actually have this when the player stays in one spot for too long.

Dipper finally defeats the (supposed) machine-gun toting leader of the gang (called "Willy" in the real game), when he heads towards the exit, only to be greeted with a punch in the face by his gothic, romantic rival, Robbie V. Dressed in a red colored outfit that mirrors Dipper, the teen begins to pounce brutally on the small hero, his body also enhanced by the gaming world.

Before I continue, I want to quickly explain the background of _Double Dragon_, so that way, people can easily see the parallel lines between the two stories. (was disappointed that no one seemed to recognize this title…) Taking place in the future, Billy Lee and his dojo is the only bright spot in a totally ruined and crime-ridden city. Tired of his resistance, the biggest and baddest gang, the Black Shadow Warriors, kidnap his girlfriend, Marion, to lure him into an ambush. Billy is shortly joined by his twin brother Jimmy, who helps him fight through the various neighborhoods until they reach the gang's stronghold.

After defeating the final boss, Jimmy suddenly turns on his brother, proclaiming that he had always loved Marion, and that Billy didn't deserve her. With Marion hanging bound from the ceiling, the two brothers duel for her hand. In other versions, (most famously, the NES edition) the story is changed slightly, where the player discovers that Jimmy was in on the kidnapping plot all along, for he was the true leader of the Black Shadow Warriors!

See where this is going?

Going back to the chapter, Dipper is struggling to defend himself from Robbie's assault when he comes to a realization: Robbie is now Wendy's latest captor! When Dipper confronts Robbie with this accusation, the goth goes into a delusional rant of how he made a deal with Rumble so that Wendy and him would remain in the gaming world together, regardless if she wanted to or not.

Knowing that he is greatly overpowered, Dipper tries to reason with his nemesis, which only enrages Robbie more so, especially Dipper's reference to the redheaded ginger as "_My Wendy_."

I know I created a pretty graphic fight with Robbie mopping the floor with poor Dipper. In my head, I thought, "this is the showdown from 'Fight Fighters,' only without interference from either Rumble or Wendy…" For this, I bought up a great point: how was it that Dipper can swashbuckle demonic wax figures, wrestle a multi-headed bear, or help bring down a giant candy monster, yet he couldn't defend himself against a creepy, yet super skinny goth kid?

After thinking about it, I figured that Dipper's fear came from his mind rather than his somewhat fragile body; for out of any person, monster, or being in Gravity Falls, Robbie V held the greatest chance of taking/turning Wendy away from him.

Facing defeat, Dipper's imagination (supposedly) runs wild, claiming that he hears Wendy's voice calling out and telling him to get back up. As with the other foes of the game, Dipper would have to use his mind to defeat Robbie rather than brute strength. It is then when the teen comes to a realization: Robbie fears Dipper's intervening with Wendy as much as Dipper does Robbie's.

A renewed Dipper stands and brings to literally talk circles around the shaken goth, making him lose his focus and balance, allow Dipper to easily counter his attacks. After a string of successful blows, Dipper finally confronts the fallen teen, laying a bit of personal truths on him. Dipper proclaims himself to be the better man (hence the chapter's title), stating that while he and Wendy may never be, Robbie's actions prove that Dipper was always right towards his suspicions.

Broken and defeated, Robbie takes one final lunge at Dipper, who beautifully counters using the Lee Brothers' trademark move, the Cyclone Spin Kick! After a few moments to recover, Dipper offers his hand to Robbie, saying that it's not too late to help him save Wendy. A lot of reviewers applauded this angle, but I did it for two reasons: I wanted Dipper to go beyond (as he does in the show) regular means to show that he was "the better man," but I also did it as a tribute to _Double Dragon II_, where the two warriors put their differences aside and reteam.

All of a sudden, Robbie tries to double cross Dipper, only to be stopped by a shouting voice. Dipper is able to avoid his sneak attack, and the goth ends up in a spiked pit for his troubles. Dipper looks to the sky to see that Wendy was bound, hanging from the ceiling. While Dipper realizes that Wendy had just saved his life, he also comes to the conclusion that she had witnessed the entire scene with Robbie, meaning she now knew his true feelings for her.

**Chapter 7 - Reunion**

**References**: Double Dragon (still)

**Song**: "Hey, Soul Sister," by Train.

This was another example of me struggling to pick the right song to perfectly represent this chapter. At first, I had selected Shinedown's "If You Only Knew," but I figured enough about Dipper's hidden feelings. After all, this chapter was supposed to be all about bringing everything out into the open. Next, I considered Staind's rock ballad, "All I Want." I felt that the song perfectly captured Dipper's affections towards Wendy, but still something felt off. Three Doors Down's "Your Arms Feel Like Home" also came to mind, but I already set "Let Me Go" as the theme to the final chapter, so I kinda didn't want to "double dip" artists. Finally, I thought to myself that this is as much "Wendy's chapter" as it is Dipper's. I thought that "Hey, Soul Sister" contained a faultless metaphor for the two's special bond, as well as an excellent descriptor of how Dipper views every little thing Wendy does with a sense of amazement, wonder, and whimsy.

**Notes: **Ah, yet another chapter I had to walk on eggshells around. As several of my reviewers mentioned, a lot of Wendy and Dipper fictions begin with a really cute idea or setting, climax with the two getting together without a lot of rhyme or reason, and more importantly, ends extremely quickly without many details (usually Wendy saying, "Oh, BTW, I'm breaking up with Robbie. LOL!"). While I'm not saying such literature are bad things (ironically, I have a lot of those in my favorites), that was not the path I wanted to take with mine.

As mentioned before, despite only writing a handful of GF works, I consider myself dedicated to trying to keep the feeling of the show in my works to the point of an "almost-canon-like" stance. So, as I presented my idea of Dipper and Wendy finally sharing their thoughts and feelings, I thought to myself, "This is how I would want Alex Hirsch and the Disney crew to do it; even if it wasn't 100% perfect or to everyone's expectations, I'd still respect it…"

For this, we begin with the two teens finally reuniting, yet both are in a stunned state. Dipper had finally revealed his true feelings for his redheaded crush; only he didn't know that Wendy was in the room at the time. I knew that there would be a lot of serious moments (ahh…teenage angst) in this chapter, and for this, I tried my best to follow each one with a form of icebreaker joke. For example, at the start of the story, Dipper gets so worked up that he kind of forgets to let poor Wendy down, and furthermore, he nearly drops her!

When the two reunite, it becomes apparent that Dipper knows immediately that because of his actions, nothing will ever be the same again. However, with Dipper "being Dipper," he automatically presumes that this WILL be a bad thing (which is something Wendy picks up rather shortly). He even goes as far to pinch the gingered girl in front of him to insure that this Wendy was the real deal (which earns him a shot to the arm), hoping to get out of an explanation.

Wendy feels guilty as Dipper clarifies his actions, which earns him a well-deserved hug. However, the boy is still so fearful of upcoming events that he doesn't really enjoy it at first. His only reward is the relief that Wendy is finally alright (hopefully showing the audience that Dipper wasn't "white knighting…").

Dipper finally breaks the silence, and apologizes to the lanky teenager for Robbie's (supposed) demise. To his total shock, he finds that Wendy sides with him, saying that Robbie chose his own path. Just as a sense of reprieve is upon him, Dipper is literally detained by his crush, letting him know they have "more matters" to discuss, shortly revealing that she did indeed overhear all of his claims.

Having to physically close the gaping mouth of the stunned young boy (another joke), Wendy gives Dipper the chance to explain himself. To her surprise, instead of making off excuses (as he often does in the series), Dipper decides to be brutally honest and tell the truth about his feelings, and well as his own expectations of a future with her (to which she concludes that he is preparing for the worst).

Somewhat stunned, Wendy asks Dipper to elaborate on what sort of idea he had. Taking a minute to think, Dipper finally expresses his thoughts about Wendy, her mistreatment at the hands of Robbie, as well as his own dreams and hopes for them together. He also reveals that (similar to Wendy's case) he believes that he is all alone in the world ("_Carpet Diem_" points out that while he enjoys Mabel's company, there are some things are she cannot help him with…).

Dipper considers that he lost touch with Wendy as she simply stares at the young teen, when in truth, she is totally shell-shocked (I wanted Dipper's dialogue and pacing to be eerily reminiscence and somewhat parallel to the conversation Wendy had with the pixie in Chapter 5). For this, a heartbroken Wendy lets her guard down and opens up to an astonished Dipper, who attempts to soothe the bawling redhead. As Wendy promised her fairy friend, she confesses to her faults, and gives Dipper kudos for all the good he has brought to her life. Touched, he lets her know that it is this _hidden side_ of her personality to which he holds dear. (After all, he claimed in Chapter 3 in Wendy's defense that he ignores her faults for she ignores his…)

Finding some common ground, Wendy remembers her pledge of "_Dipper deserving better_," yet is faced with several factors that stops her from doing so (such as the twins moving back to California within three months' time…). To combat this, Wendy creates the title of "_gal pal_," in a heart-filled attempt to strengthen her bond with the newly-christen teen.

I figured a lot of people might have been thinking, "_Gal pal_? That's kinda stupid!" As I thought about it, the first time I had ever heard the term before was a description of the _Superman_ character, Lois Lane. Seriously, her own spin-off comic was entitled, "_Superman's Gal Pal: Lois Lane_!" Anyways, keeping in mind that this is WAY before the tomboyish, wholly independent version of the famed reporter than we have today, Lois and Supes went on both dates and adventures together. Granted, Superman rescued Lois the majority of the time, but that never meant that she didn't do her own share of saving. It was only at the end of the 20th century that the two became "official," and were finally married.

So, as Wendy presents the definition of the term, it is very similar to nature to a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, but avoiding a lot of the mushiness that stems from making said thing certified (with keeping in mind, Wendy doesn't close the door on!). She further explains that it is through this way that she can give Dipper everything that he _wants_ (mostly companionship; someone to explore the world with), and yet, also give him what she feels he _needs_ (in this case, a guiding hand into adolescence; that next step in life). She believes that if something more grows from it, then so be it; if not, Dipper still gets everything that he wants (technically). Wendy also pledges to make sure to fight to ensure that this trip is not the last time the two will ever meet, much to Dipper's delight.

As for the nickname part, while the title "_Dipping Sauce_" comes from Dipper's fake I.D. (as seen in "_Headhunters_,") but most recently, the name has been lent to what is probably the biggest gathering of Wendy and Dipper fans on the 'net. Created by DeviantArt members MwolfL and TeckMakaAlbarn, "_Wendy's Dipping Sauce_" is an incredible archive of any or all media relating to the duo (and they have been gracious enough to host my works as well). I figured that their efforts should be honored in some way. When Wendy earnestly asks Dipper for a different nickname, I asked myself what would be an incredibly lame alias that Dipper could select on the spot? (My apologies to any "cupcakes" out there). A lot of reviewers seem to really like "_My Wendy_," so I figured the heck with it. Besides, I really didn't want to overuse the whole "Princess" thing, since I was trying to take Wendy away from the role of "damsel" and push towards "heroine."

The two walk away hand in hand while Wendy starts to explain why she had a sense of hesitation towards today's events. Feeling guilty (while knowing that he could easily ruin everything), Dipper begins to explain his long, complicated history with Rumble McSkirmish and the _Fight Fighters_ machine. Things start to become clear to Wendy, as her attention returns to the edgy teen at her side. She forgives Dipper and even justifies his attempts to make things right. Relieved, Dipper compares the experience to that of the story Wendy told Dipper back in Chapter 1. Wendy, somewhat touched that Dipper vindicated her petty excuse into something positive, sneaks in and paralyzes the boy with a short, yet sweeten kiss. While Dipper stands in disbelief, Wendy playfully warns the young teen to not go bragging for no one would believe his claims (and even gives a hint that may not be their last kiss; again, Wendy leaves that door open).

As Dipper holds his hand against his fluttering heart, he quickly remembers that he was carrying Wendy's trapper hat, to which the lanky girl reequips with joy. This action transforms Wendy from her "_Double Dragon_ – Marion" outfit to her more comfy Gravity Falls wear. As stupid as it sounds, I pictured Wendy as being somewhat uncomfortable and awkward while dressed up (I made this hint in Chapter 5 as well). Maybe it's her tomboyish side acting up; maybe high heels kill her arches; either way, I thought it'd be an interesting quirk. I also used this to illustrate a potential growth in the duo's relationship. Wendy asks Dipper if she looked hot in the '80s outfit, in which he replies without stutter or hesitation, "Yeah, but I like you better as you were…" They can talk about such matters without that sense of nervousness hanging overhead.

Finally, a voice (to who is presumed to be Rumble) interrupts the reunion and whisks the two teens away. Dipper quickly latches on to Wendy (to which she does the same) as they go (together) into the next world.

The last thing I want to note is that while I'm glad that a lot of people enjoyed the chapter, I get the feeling that I lost some fans after this section was released. I can easily understand that some folks became peeved with my "interpretation" but, at heart, this also was a view into my personal opinion(s) on relationships. It boggles my mind when I hear people talk about their boyfriends/girlfriends; of how great they are, or how they couldn't do without them, yet, say in the same sentence that said person is NOT their best friend, which at times, life becomes a "me vs. him/her" scenario. For the life of me, I can't understand how the person one loves with all their heart CANNOT be said best friend. It just doesn't make sense to me; maybe people don't really take serious/or understand what a relationship is supposed to be, or maybe I'm just really dense and naive.

This is why when writing this chapter, I wanted to illustrate Wendy and Dipper's growth as best friends first, and present the idea of a romantic linking second. I'm sorry if people out there think it's lame or dorky, but this is how I perceived their world, and hopefully, Hirsch and crew presents a notion somewhat similar…

**Chapter 8 – Our Final Fight**

**References**: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

**Song**: "The Reason," by Hoobstank.

As we seen through the course of the story, both Wendy and Dipper become stronger and overall better people. And why? For each other...

**Notes: **Hardcore gamers hopefully recognize the title from the classic Capcom beat 'em up of the same name. Wendy and Dipper arrive in a new world where a form of crowd awaits their arrival, and as well that of another robed figure. This is literally a recreation of the final battle of _Street Fighter III: 3__rd__ Strike_, in which (in a location presumed to be Rome) a group of masked members of the Illuminati expect their "self-proclaimed messiah", a powerful, god-like warrior named Gill. I instantly knew that I wanted Rumble to arrive in the same dramatic fashion.

Dipper stands guard in front of Wendy, desperate to keep her safe and sound. For some reason, I found the image really humorous, since Wendy easily towards over the shorten teen, so it's like Dipper's presence barely matters. While researching this, I noticed something interesting: the series goes back and forth with differing the height difference between Wendy and Dipper. In one episode, he reaches her belly button; in another, he's as tall as her chest; and in others, he is eye-level with her shoulder blades. For this, I gave Dipper the benefit of the doubt, and made him the tallest that the series allowed him to be.

While somewhat charmed by his chivalric gesture, Wendy reminds Dipper that "he's not alone" anymore; a message that can be assumed in more than one way. As Rumble charges towards the teens, the story introduces the final boss. To be honest, I wanted this character to be a composite of several beings. The most oblivious influence is Ganondorf from the _Legend of Zelda_ series, or more frankly, his _Wind Waker_ depiction. However, I also liked the demigod Demise from _Skyward Sword_ (whom is the predecessor of all forms of Ganon/Ganondorf according to _Zelda_ canon), yet I always thought it odd that the character looked more like Akuma from the _Street Fighter_ series (Wendy notices his "flame-like" hair). In tribute, the villain finishes Rumble with Akuma's patented "Raging Demon" attack, instantly taking him out of the game.

A reviewer or two were surprised by Wendy's possession by the boss. To be fair, the scene (including the first part of the final battle) is based upon what occurs to Princess Zelda in _Twilight Princess_. This includes Dipper trying to throw himself in front of (the much taller) Wendy, trying to shield her from the black bolts (Link and Midna do the exact same thing in _Twilight Princess_). I may have stretched the sequence out, but I wanted to do so in order for Dipper to reach his lowest point in the story. Left immobile, Dipper begs for Wendy's life, going so far as to plead to take her place, which makes the cruel being laugh in his face.

I wanted the King's dialogue to be on the same malicious, yet poignant level of _Wind Waker_ Ganondorf (I kept thinking of the scene before the Puppet Ganon battle, where he is standing before the sleeping Princess Zelda/Tetra). He goes on to explain that the reason is Dipper was protected from his telepathy is because he is, at heart, a more closed minded, suspicious, and distrustful person in contrast to Wendy (to which Dipper doesn't argue the point; he merely says Wendy loves him the way he is). I hoped that the reader would get as angry/disgusted with the "screaming your name" line as much as Dipper did in the story.

Dipper is quickly knocked out and dreams about his gaming past as a five year old. While writing the beginning of the chapter, the idea of Dipper's love of _Zelda_-esque games being the source of his inquisitive and adventurous nature popped into my head. After all, if one looks hard enough, they'll see that "Gravity Falls" has several _Zelda_ references sprinkled throughout (Grappling Hook!). In another form of coincidence, it is often said that creator Shigeru Miyamoto claims that his ideology for the series is based upon his own childhood adventures in Sonobe, Japan. The young boy ventured through forests, lakes, and caves, with lantern and makeshift maps in hand. As an adult, he wished to create a game to capture the same sense of wonder as he experienced through the eyes of a child. Isn't that a perfect fit for our hero?

Dipper shortly comes to, with these repressed memories in mind. His courage renewed, Dipper follows suit into the open portal where he is quickly outfitted in the same mail/tunic as Link from the _Zelda_ series (much to his delight!). He finds an enormous treasure chest, which contain several familiar Zelda items such as the bow and arrow combo, the hookshot, and the magical boomerang. However, Dipper selects the traditional Magical/Master Sword and the Mirror Shield.

He climbs up to an altar, looking in appearance to that of the final battle of _Wind Waker_. The Ganon-esque foe displays an unconscious Wendy, whom also experienced a costume change. As much as I loved _Wind Waker_ as well as the Tetra persona, there was NO WAY I could picture the super tall redhead as a perfect match. However, I started looking at artwork for _Skyward Sword_ and seen a piece for Zelda. I thought to myself, "Hey, if you added red hair and a sprinkle of freckles, she'd look exactly like Wendy!" Plus, if one thinks about it, the story I created for Dipper and Wendy does indeed run parallel to the plot of _Skyward Sword_ (in which Link chases after a missing Zelda, whom is pursued by demonic forces for the tremendous life energy flowing throughout her body). Add to the fact that this particular pairing of Link and Zelda are probably the only non-platonic sets in the entire series…

The other reason that I really wanted Wendy to issue the role of Princess Zelda is because Zelda herself is on a whole another level when it comes to being a damsel in distress. While other princesses (Toadstool, Daisy, etc.) basically sit helplessly while their realms are under siege, Zelda is the complete opposite. Usually, if a Zelda is taken captive, it is as a form of sacrifice or distraction or protection towards others. In other words, she doesn't hesitate to risk herself for the greater good. Now, think about the fairy's definition of princess when arguing in Wendy at the end of Chapter 5. It kind of makes the whole thing go full circle!

Dipper begins to defend himself versus a possessed Wendy when he figures out that he can free her using the "Dead Man's Volley" tactic, (thanks to Fanfiction user Ryan Stoppable for the correct terminology) instantly stunning his true enemy. Dipper reaches out to catch the falling girl, only to find himself humorously squished for his efforts.

After I posted this section online, an idea for another scene popped into my head. However, a lot of readers already began to write in with positive reviews and comments, and I was worried if I made a change, that it would ruin the chemistry. So, I'll leave it here, and if I'm bugged about it enough, I'll go back and edit it in (HINT, HINT, readers!).

In a scene reminiscence of that of Steven Spielberg's _Hook_, I thought of Dipper going after the wizard when he "graciously" allows the two teens a moment to themselves, only to be stopped by Wendy. Tired of the constant back and forth, Wendy tries to convince him not to return to battle, insisting that she "_is okay now_" and that all she wants is to go back home with him. Dipper, wanting nothing but that, goes to leave, when he is threatened by the wicked King that their conflict is far from over. He goes on to say that if they leave now, Wendy will be at risk "_no matter where she goes or wherever she is_, _every time she comes into contact with a video game, a television, a computer, or even a cell phone; we'll be there, watching and waiting, until one day, she disappears into nothingness, just like that!_" From there, I was going to lead into the part where Dipper tries to persuade Wendy to run…

The last argument has Dipper, scared for Wendy's safety, trying to guilt the lanky teen into stepping away from the fray. Wendy refuses his request, until Dipper slyly uses her own words against her. As he watches Wendy head back down the tower (where she finds the weapons that Dipper passed up), Dipper reflects on his actions, knowing that it was the wrong thing to do, but he was not willing to leave Wendy's life to risk.

Dipper is quickly beaten by the wizard, when his final blow is interrupted by a fully armed Wendy. Dipper, more irate than grateful for the rescue, is hastily chastised (and made fun of) by his companion for not having faith in her (presumably, in the same way she does in him). As Wendy demonstrates her new-found weaponry (again, a little icebreaker sequence to break up the tension), Dipper begins to realize that Wendy was right for criticizing him on being over-protective.

The real battle begins with both teens versus the ferocious enemy. Pretty much every step is taken from _Wind Waker's _final battle, including Wendy's/Tetra's convincing of Dipper/Link to use his shield as a reflector to help deliver the final blow (which I used as a metaphor of Dipper (finally) putting his blind faith towards Wendy).

This next sequence in _Wind Waker_ has to be my favorite moment of all _Zeldas_. I just HAD to get it right, yet I wanted to add a little charm. In this scene, Link leaps into the air to drop down upon a grounded Ganondorf, who waits with swords unsheathed. A white light fills the arena, and when Zelda/Tetra turns, the screen displays Link standing on Ganondorf's shoulder, the Master Sword impaling the treacherous enemy.

Dipper, not being super-athletic, absolutely had NO chance of catching that kind of air…without help. For this, I thought it was be awesome, cute, and even funny if Wendy assisted in it, launching the flailing boy in a maneuver similar to the "_Fastball Special_" of _X-Men_ fame.

With the main adversary defeated, Dipper falls though the disassembling world, only to be rescued by a hookshot-welding Wendy (who gives Mabel's love of grappling hooks a shout out). The two revel in their victory with a celebratory kiss and new labels for one another (her hero, his heroine). They are quickly interrupted by a bright beam of light (representing the omniscient Triforce) which requests that they enter with a wish in their minds/hearts. The description given here, _Shining Force_, was a nod to the classic Sega RPG as the same name. As Dipper is about to blunt his wish out, Wendy silences him, reminding him of his own advice (if you say it aloud, it won't come true). Finally safe, the two swing into the last portal…

**Chapter 9 – The True Reality**

References: none (sorry!)

**Song**: "Let Me Go," by Three Doors Down.

Funny story; this song was actually created for the movie _Spider-Man 2_, when it was dropped at the last second. I always felt that this perfectly illustrated the struggle between the "real life problems" of Peter Parker and "world of make-believe" of Spider-Man, and more importantly, the woman he loved caught in the middle of it all. More importantly, the selected verse highlights the end of the story, where there is a part of reality that is genuine to only Wendy and Dipper. In other words, only they know the truth to what really happened…

After traveling through the final portal, Wendy and Dipper see countless flashes of light, followed by a huge CRASH. Both teens awaken, ecstatic to be back at the Gravity Falls Arcade. (Notice Dipper's somewhat bold compliment of Wendy's hair, saying that he'll miss her Zelda-esque braids; maybe this indicates a growth in confidence?) However, they quickly noted that they are in company of a jealous Robbie V. as well as a very confused Mabel (holding Dipper's crushed birthday cake).

Pretty much every review, comments, or PM involving the ending of the story had the same two questions:

Was Robbie really there?

Was the whole experience merely a dream?

To be honest, I wanted to leave it up to the reader, but I purposely left a ton of context clues to give you my interpretation:

- When the virtual Robbie in the _Double Dragon_ world is defeated, he doesn't blink out of existence like the other foes, but simply pixelates away, similar to what happens to Rumble at the end of "_Fight Fighters._"

- Robbie makes the claim that he was out of town the whole time, yet attempted to call Wendy on his phone. When Dipper asks to see evidence, Robbie sidesteps the question, only to try to pick a fight with the shorten teen again to change the subject.

- Mabel claims that Robbie finds the two slumbering teens after he followed her to the Arcade. However, it is also said that this occurs hours after their day begins (which originally triggers Mabel's curiosity).

- Robbie seems VERY persistent to try to start fights with Dipper. He also didn't hesitate to wreck Dipper's cake or deliver a really cheap "Birthday Punch."

- Robbie is also the one to point out to Dipper that nearly all claims of evidence are completely ruined or non-existent.

- Once Wendy is out of the way, Robbie makes a silent threat to Dipper.

- All three teens returns to the real world without a scrape.

By leaving the story open like this (without an official ruling), the ending can be somewhat pleasing to both Dipper and Robbie fans (and leaves me without getting huge amounts of hate mail).

The other thing I would like to remind the reader about is what the wizard told Dipper about himself and Wendy. Dipper, by nature, is somewhat suspicious of the world around him while Wendy is more set on the world as it is right in front of her. Wendy indeed remembers her experiences with Dipper, as well as the promises she had made with him. Yet, she is told by two different people (one of them being totally unbiased) that she was found sound sleep. Dipper tries his best to find some form of evidence to quell Wendy's doubts, but fails on every attempt (the loss of their high score contest meant to be more of an emotional blow). That's the thing though, Wendy never really goes and says, "This wasn't real…" but she is simply presented with facts that create doubts. She isn't like Dipper, who can easily chalk things up to supernatural events; Wendy knows something's off, but at the same time, cannot put her finger on it. For this, she resorts to blind faith of her loved ones (which includes Robbie).

When Wendy goes to leave with Robbie, she asks Dipper to "trust her." I meant this not such as "trust me to do the right thing," but more towards "trust me that I won't forget what happened today!" After all, even if the whole thing was a dream, Wendy was presented with a bunch of life lessons that she is bound not to forget so easily. Then again, Dipper realizes that Wendy had disappeared with Robbie before he can finish his question, most likely caught up in another "stupid teenage thing."

If one thinks about it, such an instant could easily fit into the canon of the series. When you compare episodes of GF from before the first hiatus to those after, a change in Wendy's demeanor towards Dipper is very apparent. She goes from a "Meh!" attitude to that of encouragement, excitement, and welcoming ("_The Deep End_" and "_Boyz Crazy_" comes to mind…).

A saddened Dipper is left with a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Mabel, who insists to be let on the happenings. After explaining the story to Mabel, she reacts in exhilaration in contrast to her depressed brother. When Dipper accidentally reveals that he and Wendy kissed, she goes into shock saying she can't believe it (ironically, this is exactly what Wendy predicted earlier).

In an attempt to cheer Dipper up, Mabel recalls a passage from his journal that claims that some cultures believe that the dream world is just as real as the waking world (actually, some Native American tribes are said to believe this…). As Dipper ponders her theory, Mabel presents him with another gift. (Quick fact: Mabel carried a small camera in the series, yet is able to have instant photos. Turns out there are digital/instant camera combos that are still in production…)

For the photo of Wendy and Dipper asleep in each other's arms, I chose to describe a work by popular DeviantArt artist, markmak. Upon viewing his piece, "_Wendy and Dipper_," I knew that I MUST make that my ending. It was too perfect not to include, for it portrayed the exact feeling and emotion I wanted (and wished) for the two teens at that moment in time.

Another thing I thought of a minute too late was the idea that Mabel and Dipper had a special methodology towards their birthday, maybe calling it "Happy "Us" Day" or something along those lines, signifying the day that they came together. The only problem with that is that I would have had to rewrite a chunk of Chapter 1 (again, readers, HINT, HINT!)

After a quick teasing by his slightly older sister (thanks to Fanfiction user factionphantom for correcting this mistake for me), Dipper is presented with his own copy of the precious photo. He picks up his ruined cake and quickly sneaks a taste (showing that despite all her (and Robbie's) doubts, Wendy is actually a great cook!).

The quote about "Two people meeting in a dream…" was awfully familiar to me, but it wasn't until I looked it up that I discovered it originated from the creator of _Total Recall_ (both the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Farrell versions).

Dipper looks back on the Arcade as he leaves with Mabel, with a hope that Wendy will remember their time together (and no, I didn't have any idea to what present Dipper got for Mabel; to me if was more of an action to tease her the same way she did over the photo).

I can easily guess that a lot of people were kind of bummed by the bittersweet, _Halo 3_-esque ending, but to be fair, there wasn't any way that I could have Wendy and Dipper walk off into the sunset together, while keeping the overall feel and state of the series (as least, the series so far). As stated before, my goal was to create a piece that would hold true to the overall canon of the series. Because of this, I want to apologize to anyone who felt upset or cheated by an ending (Fanfiction user fooppoof3's review comes to mind…).

Finally, despite the resolution, I didn't want to end on such a sad note, so I gave Mabel a chance to shine, and therefore, attempt to end the conflict between the Pines and Rumble forever. I felt that I really didn't give Mabel proper credit (writing-wise, at least when compared to my last Wendy and Dipper story), so that's why she gets the final scene…

**Thanks again for reading through this mess! Hopefully, this clears a lot up, revealing many of interesting facts about the story, and more importantly, enables you to go check out the wonders of the sources. These titles have greatly inspired me, and hopefully, they will do the same for you! Heck, you even got an unofficial Wendy/Dipper soundtrack out of the deal!**

**Please continue to leave your reviews, comments, PMs, and other notes, regardless if they're positive or negative (at least, rank me higher than "Dipper Goes to Taco Bell", please!).**

**Special thanks to those that already have done so, to those who offered advice and even helped spread the word about this fic (Fanfiction user MadiYasha comes to mind). And an EXTRA special thanks to DeviantArt's markmak for his generosity in creating a custom cover for this story! One more round of thanks to Maverick Hunter X 2 and wendygirlyoumoveme for creating an unofficial DBR soundtrack at 8tracks radio. Be sure to check it out! If there's anyone I missed, I apologize beforehand, and encourage you to contact me to make adjustments.**

**Here's looking forward to your own works! Until next time!**


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